Chapter VI
Poker Night With Friends

(Next Day) 

“You sure you want to play poker with Volteer and Terrador again? You know what happened the last time when we did that, yes?” Cyril asked questioningly to the red dragon. 
Ignitus knocked on the door with his right paw and looked back towards his mate beside him as they both waited for a response. 
“Yes, I do remember what happened last time love. Things are different now though, besides Volteer’s with Terrador now.” Ignitus said straight to the point. 
Cyril gave the red dragon a harden glare and was not happy with that answer his mate gave back to him in return. 
“He tried to sleep and mate with you, Ignitus?!” 
Ignitus gave his mate a frown now before looking forward and knocking on the door to Volteer and Terrador’s room once more as both dragon’s heard a rustling sound inside the room as they heard a familiar voice say out loud, “I’ll be there in just a second.” 
Ignitus looked back to his mate once again and found that his mate was giving him a cold and harden glare still.  
“I was fully aware of what Volteer was trying to do, that night love. That night still bothers you doesn’t it, love?”
Cyril growled and nodded, “Of course that night still bothers me, Ignitus. He tried to break our relationship up that night.” 
Ignitus rolled his red eyes in annoyance now from his mate’s words and then huffed to himself, “Yes, I know love. He was also very drunk that night too and said a lot of dumb shit as well. But, that’s all in the past now and we can’t go back in time to change it either. Besides love, Volteer and Terrador are the only friends we have left besides Spyro, Cynder, and Sparxs of course.”
Cyril closed his blue eyes and sighed softly and calmly to himself for a few seconds as he reopened his eyes and heard the door beginning to open. 
“Your right, Ignitus. Thanks for reminding me about that.” 
Ignitus smiled and then gave a loving kiss upon his mate’s left cheek of his blue face as the blue dragon blushed red in the face which made the red dragon giggle. He stopped the kiss and turned forward in time to see the door to the room open wide and revealing the two very dragons Ignitus and Cyril were looking for. Volteer and Terrador were standing in the opening and smiled toward their old friends. 
Volteer smiled upon seeing his two old friends, “Oh, hello you two. What brings you to I and Terrador’s room tonight.”
Cyril cut in before his mate could say anything to Volteer and Terrador. 
“Ignitus and I wondered if the two of you would be interested in playing poker tonight. Just the four of us though.” 
The yellow and green dragon’s looked at each other in question and wonder for a few quick seconds before turning their heads back forward and looking at both Ignitus and Cyril in front of them. 
“Really and your fine with this Ignitus, you do remember what happened last time when we played poker, right?” Terrador asked questioningly.
Ignitus frowned once more, “Yes, and I’m fine with this and the event with Volteer happened only one time. What happened back then stays in the past and besides Volteer has you now. So once again I’m with fine it.” 
“Well, I’m fine with if then Ignitus.” Terrador said in his low voice. 
Ignitus grinned, “That’s good to hear, Terrador.” 
The red dragon looked the yellow dragon next and asked him the same question too, “What about you Volteer, you in or not.”
Volteer nodded happily this time, “Oh yes I’m definitely in, Ignitus. It will be wondrous, fun, good, exciting, and, and… “ 
Cyril frowned and then rolled his blue eyes in annoyance for a quick second before cutting off the yellow yapping dragon from his talking. 
“Yes, yes Volteer we get it already! You’re in the game. So would you please just shut the fuck up already?” 
The yellow drake stopped his talking for a moment or two before an exciting thought crossed his mind this time. 
“Oh… Oh, we could even have…” 
Ignitus and Cyril stopped him midway and then yelled out to him, “NO DRINKING, Volteer!” 
Volteer frowned and backed up a small bit from the loud yell from his two dear friends in front of him as his mate Terrador gently smiled at him. 
“It’s probably for the best, Volt’s. You can’t exactly handle your liquor very well once you’ve started drinking even at this age of ours.” Terrador said softly. 
Volteer frowned even more upon Terrador’s words and looked at him in mocking hurt look, “Whose side you’re even on, Terry?” 
Terrador grinned, “I’m on our side, Volts. And you know I’m right about you holding your liquor. Especially during a game of poker or other events you and I have been to.” 
“So that means I can’t drink tonight then?” Volteer asked helplessly. 
Terrador sadly nodded, “Unfortunately, not tonight Volts. Maybe, next time when it’s just the two of us or something special comes to Warfang alright?”  
The yellow dragon nodded and sadly accepted his mate’s words, “Alright, I won’t drink tonight, but I’m still talking though.” 
Terrador and Ignitus smiled and nodded yes while Cyril just sighed and shook his head in annoyance once more as the old dragons had a game of poker waiting for them. 
“Alright, we got ourselves a poker game then. I and Cyril will see you two in the dining hall then.” Ignitus plainly said. 
Both the yellow and green dragon’s nodded their heads as their tails swayed side to side behind them. 
“Alright, we’re see you and Cyril down in the dining hall once we’re done here with cleaning.” Terrador said in his low deep voice.  
Ignitus grinned, “That sounds good to us Terrador. See you two in a bit then?” 
With that both Volteer and Terrador backed up into their room and closed the door shut as it made a loud sound of it closing. The red and blue drakes then turned around and started walking down the hallway towards their destination, the dining hall. Where their poker game was to be held and played. 
(Dining Hall) 
Sometime later all four Guardians made it to the dining hall and saw a large round table sitting in the center of the dining hall with the things they needed for their poker game tonight. There were several decks of cards on the table with crappy plastic fake chips, and 15 to 20 water jars sitting on the sides of the table. 
When the yellow male saw this setting his yellow eyes lit up like Christmas lights and he rushed from the group of friends towards the round wood table while the others smiled at the yellow dragons excited mood as the yellow male had already found his spot at the round table and was opening a deck of cards. He looked from the cards to the poker chips and inspected them to make sure they were playable and not broken from wear and tear. As Volteer continued doing this, the others dragons had finally made it to the round wood table and took their spots at the round table as they sat down on their hind legs with their wings folded neatly to their sides as their tails swayed behind them. Terrador sat by his mate Volteer just a few inches away from him as Ignitus and Cyril also sat by each other just a few inches away from each other too. 
“Wow, the mole’s certainly made sure we got a nice and great round table to play on for our poker game tonight.” Ignitus said in aww as he tapped at the wood table’s surface with his claw. 
Terrador nodded, “Yeah, when they heard us about playing poker tonight. They rushed out and brought in the nicest and decent round table they could find and brought it straight here for the poker game tonight.” 
Cyril frowned slightly, “I still thought we should have paid them for the job though, but they denied it and said, “We’re glad for the all the help you the Guardians, Spyro, and Cynder had done for us by protecting the city and it’s citizens from harm and danger. That’s all the pay we need, thanks though.”
Ignitus turned his head right and starred at the blue dragon inches away from him as Volteer started dealing out the cards and chips towards everyone sitting at the round table. 
“It was still nice of you Cyril, thinking and wanting to pay them for a small job though.” Ignitus said kindly as he started picking up his cards from the table and putting them into his claws as the yellow dragon was dealing out the finale cards to everyone. 
Cyril nodded back as he too started picking up his cards from the table as well, “It was the right and most decent thing to do, but they just denied it kind heartedly and left it at that.”
Terrador chimed in this time as he too picked up his cards from the table and putting them into his claws as Volteer was now dealing out the poker chips to everybody sitting at the table.
“It was the right thing to do Cyril. Even I tried paying them back too, but like you said before, “Protecting the city and its citizens are all the pay we need, thank you though.” 
The three dragons stopped their talking for a moment as they all started putting their poker chips into rolls of different colors and points before bringing close to the edge of the table so it was easy for them to pick up and throw into the middle of the table. The yellow male dragon was now getting himself ready as his fives were already in his claws and settled into the way he wanted them to be. 
“Speaking of which, where are Spyro and Cynder tonight? Anybody know where they are at?” Volteer asked questioningly. 
Ignitus had his five cards ready to go and thought about the yellow dragons question too, “I think they went out tonight just the two of them. At least… I think they went out.” 
The blue drake laughed to himself as he too got his five cards ready to go and play as the green dragon across from him finished lastly as his cards were ready to go too. 
“Yeah they didn’t go out tonight, Ignitus.” Terrador chimed in. 
Ignitus wondered about the green dragon’s words some more, “Oh, then where are they at then?” 
Terrador grinned now, “Their both at their house tonight and hanging out with their friends.” 
Ignitus raised his eyebrows curiously and wonder now, “Really. Did the moles give the home to them for saving the city and the citizens or did the King of Warfang do it?” 
Cyril butted in this time, “A bit of both actually. Both the moles and the King granted them a reward for their efforts. Spyro and Cynder wanted one reward only, just one though and that was a home of their very own. So the moles and the King granted it for them.” 
Volteer added his own voice into the conversation too, “Lucky young dragons those two are, but I’m glad their happy now and no longer have to fight any more. After what those two have been through together, they need a good long break I think.” 
The other three dragons nodded together approvingly to the yellow drakes words, “Agreed.” 
The dining hall room was suddenly quiet for a moment and two before Cyril broke the silence at the table as his blue tail swayed behind him. 
“So Volteer what are the high and low cards this time.” 
“Oh right I forget about that. Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens are high and below that from nine to two are low cards. Everybody got that?” Volteer said quickly. 
Everybody nodded yes as the green dragon made the first move into the poker game and discarded two cards from his claws onto the table and asked the yellow drake inches away from him for two cards which the yellow dragon then gave to him as Terrador picked them up from the table into his claws.
“Well, my turns over. You’re up next, Cyril.” Terrador said. 
Cyril looked at his cards some more and picked three cards from his claws and discarded them onto the table below and asked Volteer for three more cards, “Give me three cards there, Volteer.”
Volteer dealed out the three cards and then handed them over to the blue drake as he picked them up and placed them into his claws and sorted them out right in the right order he wanted as the yellow drake and Ignitus waited for their turns. 
Cyril looked at the new cards he got from the yellow dragon and gave out an irritated growl from his throat. 
“Oh this is going to be one long ass game isn’t it?” 
Ignitus grinned, “Not the cards you wanted there, love.” 
Cyril growled out, “Hell no, your move Iggy.” 
The red dragon looked at his cards and discarded one from his claws and placed it onto the table below and asked the yellow drake for one card only. Volteer dealed out the one card to the red male as he picked it up and placed it into his claws and smiled at the card he got from the yellow drake which Cyril noticed right away. 
“You got the card you wanted, Iggy?” Cyril asked curiously. 
Ignitus grinned, “Maybe, love. You’ll just have to wait and see that is.”
Cyril growled out annoyingly while Ignitus laughed to himself before nodding toward the yellow dragon, “Your turn, Volteer.” 
Volteer smiled, “Well, I like my cards right now so I won’t be discarded any right now, but I will start the betting though.” 
The yellow dragon with his left paw picked up two red chips from the table and threw them into the center of the table and said out loud as he lowered his left paw back onto the ground below, “I raise 500 points for now, your call Terry.” 
Terrador picked two pokers one of different colors two of red and one of yellow with the point numbers written on them the red ones were of 500 and the yellow ones were of 1000. The green dragon then threw the poker chips with his left paw onto the center of the table as well as he brought his left paw back to the ground once again. 
“I raise 1500 points, your bet now Cyril.” Terrador said in his low deep voice.
The blue dragon huffed out in annoyance and threw his cards onto the table and growled out to himself, “I fold unfortunately, your bet now hot stuff.” 
Ignitus grinned as he picked up two yellow poker chips with his right paw and then threw them into the center of the table then lowered his right paw back onto the ground once more. 
“I raise 2000 points, your bet yet again Volteer.” Ignitus said teasingly. 
Volteer grinned back at the red dragon and picked up three yellow poker chips and then threw them onto the center as well, “Oh that’s how we’re playing now is it, Ignitus. Well, I’ll see your raise and raise it to 3000 points now. Your bet now, Terry.” 
The green dragon was in thought mode now as he thought about weather raising the bet more or folding in his cards. As he was deep in thought and thinking, the blue dragon picked up a one poker chip with his right paw and brought it up to his face to look and study it as a familiar memory came to his mind which made him smile and laugh silently to himself which the red dragon caught onto as well. 
Ignitus smiled, “What’s gotten you smiling and laughing to yourself now love?” 
Cyril grinned fondly now, “Oh nothing much, Iggy. Just an old memory of playing this game brought back some fond memories. That’s all.” 
This got the red dragon curious now, “Oh what of if I may ask love?” 
Cyril smiled, “It’s nothing much, Ignitus. I just wondered if Zephyr was still here with us and saw us playing for points and not gold coins in a poker game. I wonder what he would say to us, that’s all.”
Volteer chimed in quickly before the red dragon could, “He’s probably say to us we’d probably gone bat shit crazy and yell at us for it too.” 
The yellow dragon’s words made everyone laugh now as Terrador added his own words to the conversation now, “And then have Anahita yelling at him to shut up and move on from it.” 
Ignitus laughed, “Yeah, that was always funny to watch and what was the nick name she had for him back then? I can’t remember it for some reason.” 
Cyril came in this time around, “She called him a wind bag Iggy, since he was the Guardian of Wind at the time.”
Ignitus nodded and smiled fondled, “Yeah, that’s it. It was wind bag.”
Everyone at the round wood table laughed and smiled at the words and stories about the two pervious Guardians of Wind and Water and the fond memories of the two of them. This continued on for a good minute before it stopped as the dining hall fell into silence once more before Cyril broke the silence in the hall with his voice. 
“I miss those two dragons.” 
Everybody else nodded and smiled sadly as Volteer spoke out softly, “Rest in peace, Zephyr and Anahita.” 
For a moment of silence the four dragon Guardians stayed silent as they remembered their fallen comrades and friends with fond, good, and sad memories playing in their minds and hearts. After the moment of silence was over, the four dragons got back into their poker game as the dining hall was filled with fun, laughter, and loud yelling filled the dining hall and all throughout the temple and its empty halls tonight.
The four dragons would go on to play their poker game for five hours and an half. With each dragon winning or losing the chip point pot with either a royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, or two pairs in their claws. So far right now, Cyril is in the led with 128,000 point chips in front of him, in second was Ignitus with 110,000 point chips, and then in a two way tie was Volteer and Terrador with 95,000 points. In the center of the table was a pretty large pot of point chips of reds, yellows, greens, and blues which equalled out to be 150,000 points in the grand pot right now. The four elder dragons were currently playing their last round of the poker game right now as everybody was getting tired or sleepily during the poker game to which everybody agreed this was to be the last round for the poker game. 
“Alright Volteer show us what you got for cards. Come on now, show them.” Cyril said edging on the yellow dragon. 
Volteer frowned, “Just hold onto your horns, Cyril.” The yellow dragon put his five cards down onto the table and it showed two pair of two jacks one of hearts the other of spades and the other two pair was that of four of spades and four of clubs, “I’ve got two pair. What do you have, Terry?” 
Terrador grinned and then put down his five cards onto the table and it showed a four of a kind of four nines of heart, diamond, spade, and club while his last card was that of six of clubs. Volteer gasped in displeasure and surprise as his mate had higher cards then he did have. 
“Sorry, Volts but it seems my cards were just a bit higher than yours. Love you still though.” Terrador said trying to lighten the mood. 
Ignitus grinned at them and chimed this time, “Sorry Terrador, but I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
The red dragon put all five cards of his down onto the table and everybody saw it and was surprised by what they were seeing. 
Volteer frowned, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” 
Terrador huffed at this, “A hard straight flush, huh.” 
Cyril let out a groan, “Lucky bastard.” 
Ignitus stood there proudly and happy as his scaly chest was puffed out and his red tail moving fast then usually behind him as the other dragons were still pouting or whining at the table. On the table in front of the red male were his five cards lying out for all to see. In his cards were the eight, nine, ten, jack, and queen of hearts giving the red dragon a queen-high straight flush, but there was still one dragon yet who hadn’t played his cards quite yet though. Ignitus stopped his proud and happy moment and looked towards the blue dragon and saw him looking at his cards quite deeply. 
“So love, what do you have in your cards if I may ask?” Ignitus asked curiously. 
Cyril was shook from his thoughts and looked back towards his mate and saw him the red male looking at him curiously and questioningly as where the others too. 
“Oh sorry, Umm… What did you say, Ignitus?” Cyril asked. 
The red dragon was about to respond back, but the yellow dragon across from him beat him to it though.
“He asked, let’s see your damn cards?!” Volteer said rather irritated.     
Cyril frowned, “Oh alright, but you won’t like what you will see though.” 
The blue dragon turned his head around and placed his own five cards onto the table’s surface as the others sitting around the table watched with interest, dread, or worry. As the blue drake moved his right paw from the table and everybody was shocked to see his cards. 
“Holy shit!” Volteer yelled out loud. 
Terrador frowned this time, “Five of a kind huh.” 
Ignitus smirked, “Where were you hiding those cards love, you aren’t cheating are you love?” 
Cyril grinned and brought up his right paw to his purple chest and faked mocked his expression, “I would never cheat in poker, baby. Besides do you see any pockets anywhere on my handsome blue scales?” 
On the table in front of the blue drake were his five cards. Unlike the red dragon’s cards, the blue dragon’s cards were a five of a kind as the cards showed the aces of heart, diamond, spade, club, and a joker which acted as addition ace of sorts giving the blue drake a five of a kind. Which meant the blue dragon, Cyril won the game and the 150,000 point chip pot as well. 
“So, it looks like Cyril won the poker game this time and the chip pot too. That brings his chip point totally to 278,000 points. Congrats on the win, ice brain.” Volteer said sourly.
Cyril frowned, “You’re just sour that you lost this time around.”
Volteer was about to counter back, but Ignitus stopped him from doing just that with a wave of his left paw, “That will be quite enough back talking from you two tonight, alright. “ 
Terrador nodded as he let out a loud yawn escape from his mouth, “Yes, just like Ignitus said no back talking. This was supposed to be a fun game between friends tonight; it’s not about winning or losing. It’s just a game to be enjoyed by friends nothing more, nothing less.”
Cyril and Volteer huffed and looked at each other for a few moments before sighing and then reaching out with their right paws and then giving a good paw shake as they wished each other with words of, “Good game.” Before they stopped their paw shake and returned them back to the ground. 
Ignitus grinned at his mate, “See, and was that so hard to do love.” 
Cyril looked to his mate and grinned back at him, “Don’t push your luck, Iggy.” 
Terrador got up on all fours and then walked up to the yellow drake and rubbed his right shoulder blade with left green paw while his green tail tied around the yellow male’s own tail and then gave it a loving squeeze.
“See, it was a good game Volts. “ Terrador said kindly to the yellow dragon as Volteer smiled towards him.  Terrador smiled back at his mate for a few seconds before looking towards Ignitus and Cyril with his tired green eyes, “And as the first and second place winners it only makes sense for them to clean up the game for us.”
Cyril laughed to himself while his mate Ignitus frowned and narrowed his red eyes hard toward the green dragon himself, “Hey now, that’s just plain dirty now Terrador.” 
Terrador smiled, “Yes, I know.” The green drake then looked towards his mate and nodded his green head towards the dining halls entrance way to which his mate grinned and got up on all fours as well as Terrador looked back towards Ignitus and Cyril once again, “We’ll be going to bed now. You two have a good night as well.” 
With that both Terrador and Volteer had turned around and started walking towards the dining halls entrance way as the green dragon put his right wing over the back of his mate’s yellow back and laid it lay there as they walked with their coiled around each other and swayed to their walking. As they reached the entrance way of the dining hall and entered it and out of the sight of Ignitus and Cyril who were still at the table in the dining hall, the green and yellow dragons were now gone and left towards their room for some good ole sleep. 
The blue ice dragon was already putting away the cards into their rightful place while the red dragon was still frowning and was now shaking his right paw in slight angry to which the blue dragon noticed right away. 
“You angry that Terrador managed to pull a fast one over us hot stuff?”
Ignitus nodded, “Of course I am angry, love. The question is why you are not angry in the slightest about what Terrador did to us?” 
Cyril laughed softly to himself, “Let’s just say I kind of figured he would pull some like this hot stuff. Terrador maybe more level-headed and solid then the rest of us, but when you’ve battled alongside and know him for a long time like you and I do he can pull some pretty sneaky strategies and moves that can surprise you or your enemies.” 
Ignitus frowned some more, “And you didn’t even bother to tell me about it, love.”
Cyril grinned this time as he finished putting away the cards into their small boxes and then started putting the poker chip points away this time, “Ha, I thought you’d be the first to notice him doing it before I and Volteer even noticed him doing it. You’re usually pretty observantly of your surroundings, hot stuff.” 
Ignitus closed his red eyes and breathed in and out for a few seconds before stopping and opening his red eyes once more and looked towards his mate, “Next time love, warn me about it though.” 
Cyril nodded, “Alright, I’ll be sure to warn you next time when we play poker again.” 
The red dragon giggled and smiled mischievously, “And next time we’ll pull a fast one over them next time we play.”
Cyril laughed, “That’s the spirit, Iggy. Now get over here and help me put away the last of the poker chips so we can go to bed too.” 
Ignitus lovingly slid in closer to his mate’s left side as their red and blue scales meet and touched as the blue dragon moved his left wing over his mate’s back and wings and let it lay there comfortably around his mate’s body as he then coiled his blue tail around his mate’s own red tail and then squeezed it lovingly. The red dragon then joined in helping his life-mate putting away the poker chips as dining hall grew quiet now. As the only sound in the dining hall was the breathing of two dragons putting away their poker game for the night?