by Max Jager
The spacecraft sped off and Alerius was panting hard behind a tree that was ripped to shreds. Any normal man or even a weak rogue would have been killed in such a crash. Alerius was still alive though and the only thing wrong with him was that he had several gashes that were bleeding, his shirt was torn up pretty bad, and he had dislocated both of his shoulders. Nothing he hadn't suffered before. The pain was still bugging him though.
He stood up and his shoulders ached with pain. He walked over to a somewhat rotted tree branch that was stuck in some mud. It was about three feet off the ground. Perfect for what Alerius had in mind. He threw one arm over the limb and then the other. He then jumped down and had all of his weight fall onto the ground. His two shoulders jammed back into place and Alerius let out this muffled cry. He rolled onto his back screaming up at the sky because of the pain of popping both shoulders back in at the same time! It wouldn't last long though. He knew in less then five minutes he'd be okay.
He was panting heavily as he looked up at the sky. The suns were setting. The Scalobore day was almost over. He figured he had about two more hours of his mission to find the Leyline. He laid there, panting from pain, wondering were the Leyline was. It was about ten minutes before he finally got up and was able to use his arms and hands again.
He walked over to the wreckage to see if there was anything left he could use. The smoke bellowing out of the area had almost depleted. The blackened grass and foliage surrounded him. He saw that there was nothing left. The guns, the bike, it was all gone.
Again he was without weapons. He shook his head at his predicament. He couldn't worry about that now though, he had to find the Leyline. He went off in search of it and turned his back on the charred mess that he had left. He only hoped he could find it in time.
He had no idea where to go or even what direction to start looking in. He didn't even know if the Leyline was on the planet. He only hoped that it was and maybe he could find it before the hellions did. He doubted it. Things were looking more then bleak. They were looking downright cosmically dire!
Planet Scalobore: Commandeered
The fighter landed on a cliff that was about a mile from the bridge but the cliff was so high that the bridge was still visible. Most of the end of the bridge that led into the swampland was badly damaged. The bridge itself though was still intact even though it was riddled with bullet holes and charred black pits, most from the volcanis pilot.
The pilot brought the engine of the fighter to a stop and got out of the cockpit through the glass canopy. He took off his helmet and set it down on the seat. He then turned his attention to Korzen who was standing about thirty feet from him.
The volcanis pilot walked over to him and asked, "What the hell did you want me for? I was returning to base when you rang!"
Korzen just stared at him.
"What?"
Korzen then spoke mildly irritated. "You think he's dead?"
The pilot looked back at the bridge. His evil reptilian eyes scanning the whole scene. "He's toast! Nothing could have survived that." He looked back at Korzen.
Korzen just sneered. "I could've."
"So! He's not you! Now, if you don't mind I'd like to get back to base."
The pilot turned to go back to his ship.
"Hey!"
The pilot stopped but didn't turn back around to look at Korzen. "What?"
"That was some pretty fancy flying you did out there." Korzen then removed his revolver from his holster and pointed it right at the pilot's back.
The pilot, oblivious to his plight, started talking, not turning back to see Korzen. "Yeah?"
"Oh yeah."
"Well thanks! Coming from you…"
The shot was echoed out for at least a quarter of a mile around the peak of the cliff. The pilot went down to the ground. He flipped over ignoring the excruciating pain from his back. He looked at Yellow Korzen who was now walking towards him. The pilot bared his long, sharp teeth at Korzen and hissed out angrily and painfully, "Why?"
Korzen pointed the revolver right at the pilot's forehead and blasted his brains all over the sand. Korzen returned the gun to its holster, bent down to the pilot's ear, (like he could hear him) and began to speak. "Because you simple minded demon: The Red Firius is alive and this planet will be destroyed soon. I need a ship capable of following him into the dark vastness of space. Because I know he will complete his mission to protect the Leyline here. Not out there though." Korzen motioned to the sky. "Out there I will fulfill mine!"
Yellow Korzen stepped over the dead hellion pilot and entered the fighter. He threw out the helmet and it landed right next to the deceased demon. Korzen put down the glass canopy and started the engine. He hovered up into the sky and then flew out into outer space where he would wait for The Red Firius. Follow him to whatever planet he needed to rest at. When there, kill him.
Korzen was not really doing this to complete the mission. He could have easily found him in the swamp and knew he was hurt. He could have killed him there but he was doing it this way for one reason and one reason only. Alerius would be fully rested and he would kill him at his best.
Planet Scalobore: The Leyline
(I bet some of you have been wondering, "Yeah, the guns and demons are cool but where's this 'romance' I saw in the description?" Well here it is! Now, for those of you who love romance I hope this compells you to read further into the story and appericate it even more. For those of you who dont't and still want the guns and demons; don't worry they're not going anywhere.)
Alerius was deep in the swampland now. That foul odor returned to his nose. He had taken his shirt off now and was holding it over his nose and mouth. The heavy foliage of the swamp scraping against his cuts wasn't helping either as he made his way through. He had no idea in even what direction to start looking for the Leyline! He didn't even know if it was anywhere. If it was on the planet though, he couldn't leave without looking. Where though?
The heat was not as bad as when he first entered. Because the suns were going down. He had to find the Leyline and fast. If he didn't find it by nightfall he would never find it! It would be impossible to find it in the dark. Not to mention, by that time the mission time would probably be up and the Osiris would leave Scalobore's orbit.
He had to find a clue. A hint as to where it was. He had found nothing though and he had been walking for about an hour. In the thick lining of the swamp he had probably only progressed about a football field away from the crashed bike. He was getting tired too. The whole day had put quite the strain on his body and mind.
The landing of his shuttle, the entrance of Dark, that walk through the swamp, the ride on the bridge, the walk through the desert, the fight at the bar with Yellow Korzen, the bike chase, the crash, and now here he was. Back to another damn walk through the foul smelling inner workings of the swamplands. Alerius knew only one thing for sure as he trudged on through the green, muddy, marsh-like area. This sucked!
Another twenty minutes had went by before he finally picked up something on the location of the Leyline. The smell was gone! He didn't know how he knew this was a clue as to where it was hiding but he just somehow knew. Something deep down told him that he was on the right track.
This gave him hope. Even though he was tired, bruised, and battered. He walked on searching for some kind of underground lair, a cave, a waterfall hollow, even a clearing of some kind. He found nothing though. Time was running out. If he didn't find the Leyline, he would have no choice but go back on the Osiris and search another planet. Him and the rest of the human race would have to wait for either another clue to its whereabouts or until the hellions had it. He had to hurry!
He suddenly past by his old landing sight. If he had had a bit more time, he might have actually found the upcoming situation ironic. Because about forty yards away, he found a cave. It was about twice as tall as Alerius and about three times as wide. He didn't know how deep it went but he figured it couldn't be too far. He had no way of lighting his
path but he didn't have to.
There were these small mushrooms on the ground of the cave that illuminated the interior of the cave. They glowed with a bright brilliant blue light. Which lit up the cave very well. Alerius entered inside very cautiously expecting anything. He looked around the cave before entering and found two paths. A fork in the system. One that was dark and had no mushrooms. The other was illuminated all the way to where he couldn't see any more. Alerius decided that if he was going to investigate anything he would have to go down the lighted path.
He entered inside and began to travel down the long corridor of the cave. The mushrooms were very bright. Alerius removed his shirt from his mouth. The pungent smell of the swamp did not even enter the cave. It had been gone before but now the smell in here was sweet to him. It was a very nice smell. He had never smelled it before but for some reason it made him slightly calm. As if nothing outside of this rock corridor even mattered. He didn't know if it was the mushrooms giving off the sweet aroma or if it was something else deeper inside the cave but he did know he liked it.
As he continued further into the cave he came into a large section of the cave. It was a small hollowed out chamber. The ceiling was about four feet above him and the room itself was brilliantly lit up with the mushrooms. All he saw was cave walling and mushrooms but what caught his attention was what he heard.
He heard something but it wasn't in the cave. It was in his mind! He heard something in his mind! A harp to be exact. Playing this beautiful melody. It wasn't like remembering a song either. It was like having the harp right next to your ear as it played. There was nothing in this section of the cave though, just the mushrooms. Alerius could hear this harp playing though, plain as day.
For some reason he was drawn to the melody of it too. He wondered why now it had started. He didn't have to wait for long. In the corner of the chamber he saw something he had missed. Something he shouldn't have but he did. He saw a girl in the corner!
She was cowering in the corner with her back to him. He stared at her curiously. He couldn't really see anything about her except she had on this long, light, cotton gown. It should have been damp and discolored from the cave but it was thick and fluffy with life. It was as white as a cloud too. As if she hadn't even been in the cave at all.
Alerius was dumbfound as to how this girl got in here or, even more so, how she was alive? There were so many questions that Alerius had that not all of them could fit into one minute of thought and got more and more abundant as he took a step towards the girl. As he approached, he saw that she was no ordinary girl. Her skin was a light blue and hair was a brilliant purple that went along with her attractive blue skin. It was like the two colors set each other off. Alerius had not seen the girl's face and he was starting to become attracted to her. He had never seen a blue skinned girl before but he figured that maybe she was some kind of human never discovered before or something. That made no sense whatsoever though. His thoughts were lost as the harp in his consciousness continued to play out its angelic melody.
Alerius took another step and was now close enough to touch her. "Excuse me?" He said and there was no answer. He figured that the girl could not speak so he reached out his hand and touched her on the shoulder.
When he did, his mind was flooded with images in little less then a second! Most of the images comprised of peaceful harmony of humans and other creatures. A sort of bond throughout the universe. A feeling of well-being that Alerius had never felt before.
Alerius quickly took his hand away from the girl both surprised and calmed at what he had sensed in her.
"It's you!" He said. The words flowed out of his mouth.
The girl turned her head around and that beautiful, purple shaded hair flowed along with it. Her eyes were big and were the color of green and blue. They were so big and so beautiful. They looked like the very ocean itself flowed within them. Her lips were a slightly darker shade of blue then her skin making them pout. Her cheeks were not big at all but they were well proportioned to her face giving her face a slender and yet full look. Her eyes though, they were so innocent and they called out to Alerius as she stared at him. She spoke, "Yes agent, I am the Leyline you have been seeking."
Her voice. It was sweet to his ears. It almost sound like the harp that was playing in his head. Her voice seemed to be right in tune with it. As though the harp and her voice were one. As if they were part of some glorious song that Alerius could not yet fully understand.
The Leyline stood up, turning herself so that her body faced his. Alerius could not help but look at her as she was so beautiful. Her shoulders were slender and extenuated her neck very well. Her chest was magnificent! It was exactly the right size. It blossomed out making the white gown perfectly encircle her. Her stomach was hidden under the gown but from what Alerius could tell it was thinly built. Perfect. Her hips were also perfect! Just the right portion, being just about a size wider then her thin little stomach. Her legs were very visible. Smooth as silk and as blue as the sky. Perfect. The gown she wore seemed to be like a big white cloud in the midst of a beautiful summer day. Her hair went all the way down to her thighs and was gorgeously caped around them. Perfect.
Alerius couldn't help but stair at her. He had never seen a girl like her. She was very young looking too but for all he knew she could have been a thousand years old. He wasn't sure and he really didn't care. She didn't sound a thousand and she surly didn't look a thousand. More like nineteen. Her voice seemed to be filled with both an innocence and an ignorance. Yet there was an intelligence far beyond his own. As if she was just playing coy.
She spoke again. "Am I that beautiful agent?"
"What?" Alerius said snapping back to reality.
"Am I that beautiful?"
Alerius stared at her this time in befuddlement acting like he didn't know what she was talking about. "What do you mean?" Alerius's voice was softer then most times in his life. Usually his voice is war harden and brass. This time though it had melted into a soft tone, one full of compassion and warmth. That would quickly change.
"You are staring at me." The Leyline said. Her tone of voice was so soft and seemed to be getting softer and more harmonious by the moment.
Alerius turned away from her harshly and said, "I was just seeing if you were hurt. That's all!" His voice had become harsh and brass again. It had returned back to normal.
"Oh." The hurt in her voice was evident but Alerius chose to ignore it.
He had no time to deal with her feelings. He had a mission to do. Her protection came before her feelings or his. No matter what he might be feeling towards her. Or she to him.
As he sensed the hurt in her voice he saw the mushrooms flicker. The light seemed to dim and when it came back to a steady glow they weren't as bright as they were before. He also noticed that that harp was gone from his head. In someway that hurt him emotionally. He couldn't describe it but he just felt lost. He decided to turn back to what he knew the most. Training.
He turned back around and saw the Leyline rubbing her arm as if she was embarrassed by something. He didn't have time to guess what it was. He began to speak to her again, "We have to leave now Leyline! We cannot stay…"
"Aurela."
"What?"
"My name, its Aurela."
"Oh, well fine. Look Aurela, my orders are…" Again Aurela cut him off.
"I was staring at you." Her voice sounded very soft again and the mushrooms began to glow. That lone harp was back in Alerius's mind.
Alerius shook his head trying to drown out the harp but it was no good.
"Its fine. We have to leave here and…" Alerius was trying to be reasonable with her but this third interruption got to him too bad!
"What's your name?" the innocent voice of Aurela asked.
That was it! Alerius had to get her back to the Osiris now! "Look Aurela!" He grabbed her by the shoulders! "We don't have time for introductions! People are trying to kill me and you!"
"Kill?" Her v
oice was filled with pain now. The harp was gone again from Alerius's head and the mushrooms were now down to a bear gleam. The room was almost completely dark.
He shook it off. "Yes kill! My orders are to get you off this planet in one piece and I will fulfill my mission!"
The mushrooms blasted with light again. They seemed to glow with energy. Alerius was still locked onto her shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. Her soft voice spoke to him as that beautiful harp coincided with it. "Its okay agent. You can if you want to."
It was like she could read his mind. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her and love her. He had never felt like this before. No woman had ever talked or been this nice to him before. No girl had ever even given him a second glance.
It wasn't because he was ugly. (Because he was far from it!) It wasn't because he wasn't well built. (Because he most definitely was.) It was because he was a rogue and not only are rogues bared from having anything to do with women, most women want nothing to do with them. They are considered freaks of nature and most women are afraid of having freak babies from them.