by Max Jager
In Aurela's head her primal mind began to take over. Her consciousness was gone and was replaced by this primordial state-of-mind. Aurela felt something happening to her. Both physically and mentally. As if she was changing. She was transforming. Alerius's words had awoken something inside of her. This celestial inner strength. Her primitive mind was refusing to die to this evil. It was as if this angelic darkness was coming out in her. This will to stay alive. Not for herself but for Alerius. 'He needs me' she thought to herself. This inner power was bolting through her mind. This more inner survival essence.
She felt alive again as never before. As if this power deep inside of her had been asleep and Alerius's love for her had awoken it! Turning her into this new super-being. A new form of existence had come out in her. She felt her thoughts change and her entire being change. She had gone from this nimble little angel to this powerful, angelic woman of might!
Her eyes opened and her eyes were a pure white. She looked at the nebron with this low brow look. The nebron watched as her body began to glow with power. The nebron let go of her throat but her body stayed in the air! This golden aura came around her. Her brilliant purple hair also gained this golden glow. It was being blown back by this strange wind that had come from her. Her whole body was pulsating with energy.
The nebron took a step back as its own body began to grow this red aura. It growled at her and its muscles began to tighten again. It was preparing to attack her! This ugly green slime began to run from the corners of it mouth. It was some kind of drool and its eyes took on this piercing look.
Aurela raised her hand to its chest, slowly. Her bright golden body-light shinning out like a beacon of omnipotence! Suddenly, this wave of energy came from her. A blast wave of air or something similar. It was like a wall of heavily dense air pounded the nebron hard. The monster lost its red glow instant quick and was knocked back high into the air. It flew away from Aurela and landed about ten feet past Alerius.
Alerius watched in utter shock at the entire occurrence! He stopped altogether when Aurela transformed. What he saw was not the timid creature he had fallen in love with. No, what he saw was this angelic weapon! This angel with tremendous power and he saw in her eyes something he had never seen in anything else before. A calm understanding of everything that was, is, and ever will be. A knowing of godly proportions!
He watched the nebron fly past him and land hard onto the ground. It was stunned. He didn't know how long that would last though. He swiftly got back to his feet and walked over to Aurela. He walked up to her as she was still hovering in the air. He watched her put her hand down and then shot a glance at him.
He stepped back from her, fearing her power. He could literally feel the power emanating off her! It gave his skin goosebumps and no fear of war or otherwise had ever done that to him!
He then saw her smile at him and he heard her sweet voice come through that pulsating power. "Firius."
She then shut her eyes and dropped to the ground. Alerius grabbed her and looked at her. He was so worried about her. He wondered if she would stay like this forever. He noticed though that the golden aura was gone and that the strange wind that was blowing her hair back had dissipated.
The small hellion infantry had retreated. They had seen the powerful nebron go flying backwards and had seen the instrument of destruction Aurela had become. They scattered off away hoping not to get caught in her path of destruction as well. They all figured that anything that could do that to this powerful monster could easily destroy them in the blink of an eye.
All the calsins were celebrating. They had not even noticed Aurela's showing of power. They were too busy to notice anything of the sort. They all were engaged in combat and when the small force had scattered away from them they believed it was their own doing.
Alerius still was clinging to Aurela as she laid still in his arms. Her eyes began to flutter and she opened them softly. Her vision was flooded with Alerius's face. "Firius."
Alerius couldn't help but smile at her. "Aurela." he held her close. "I thought I lost you!"
She touched his cheek lightly with the back of her hand. "You will never lose me. I promise."
Something tore through Alerius's mind. He was lost in his love for her but he was starting to come back. He was showing her emotions. He became agitated and mad at himself for doing that. How could he have let himself get carried away like that? Holding her in his arms and showing her that he actually cared? It was dangerous and he now knew why she had been in danger in the first place. If he hadn't shown such intimacy towards her she never would have been put in that horrible situation. This was his way of thinking.
His eyes filled with anger and he dropped her to the ground and stood up really fast. Most of his pain was gone and he turned his back on her. She looked at him strangely. She had no idea why he had started to act like this. Was he mad at her? She had no idea that he cared so much about her that he was sacrificing his own feelings for her. He was thinking that he was to blame for the situation that she had just been in.
That's why Alerius had been hiding his feelings since they had first met. He was afraid of his emotions getting her killed. Then the mission would be over. He had to accept the mission over her. It was the only way to accomplish it successfully.
His thoughts were still telling him that he was to blame for the life threatening position she had just been in. He had let his emotions run away and he had almost gotten her killed. He would not have that happen again.
She looked up at him so hurt. She got up on her feet and asked, "I thought you needed me?"
He did need her! He need her in the most dire way! He needed her love! He needed her warm body, her caring words, her lovely attitude! He needed everything about her! Especially her love!
This wasn't about what "he" needed though. This was about what was best for the mission and the entire universe. He couldn't care about how he felt or her. This mission was bigger then any one of them. It had to be accomplished in order for the war to finally be over. He remember Lire's words. The Korzen Leyline that had visited him in his dreams. He was choosing to ignore them.
Alerius just kept staring off into the sky. He then said in this harsh tone, "I need you."
Aurela's eyes shined.
"I need you to stay alive because if you don't the mission is a failure. I haven't ever failed a mission before I don't feel like starting now!"
Aurela's shine faded away. She looked down at the ground hurt. She then said in a meek voice, "So you don't love me?"
Alerius turned to face her and saw her standing there with her legs close together and her hands clutched by her thighs. Her beautiful body was shinnying somewhat because of the sun to the west. It was almost nighttime and her blue skin was accentuated by the light. Her skin glimmered almost like ocean water when the sun begins to set below the horizon of the sea. It was so beautiful to Alerius that he had to turn his back once again because he felt his love for her begin to pour back into him.
'Her purple hair glistening in the sun light makes me want to run my hand up her…SHUT-UP'
His mind was running ramped again with exotic thoughts and ideas. He hated himself for it. He thought back to her question and he couldn't say no. He couldn't! He wondered if by giving into his hatred he'd say the wrong thing but the more he thought about it, the more he decided that answering the question at all would be hazardous.
He suddenly felt this hand touch his shoulder gently and he felt Aurela's body press against his back. He felt that melting sensation coming on again. He then felt her warm breath on his ear and as she whispered softly into it. "Its okay, you don't have to answer that now. I'm content with my love for you."
He felt both Aurela's arms snake around his chest and give him a tight squeeze. To him though it was the most loving embrace he had ever felt and that melting sensation grew stronger. He just wanted to grab her and make love to her right then and there and that's when his anger kicked into high gear!
He pulled away from her embrace and looked at her in anger. Not at her but with himself more then her but he was about to take it out on her. "Why? Why in the hell do you do this to me? Can't you understand? You're my mission, Nothing else! Don't you understand that if I give into my emotions I'll end up like him!"
Alerius threw his hand out pointing over the hill. Now he had let the truth come out. One of the real reasons he was hiding his emotions. Yellow Korzen. He remembered what his once childhood hero had said. His memory was ripe with what had taken place at Benjamin's Bar back on Scalobore.
He didn't mean for it to slip but it had just the same. He didn't want to become a traitor like Yellow Korzen! He'd been hiding this feeling deep in the back of his mind along with his love for Aurela. He had buried it far in the back of his brain. It hurt him too much to even think about what Yellow Korzen had done.
Aurela backed away from him after he had his fit. She picked the shotgun back up and stood close to Alerius. Even though she was hurt, she was still in love with him just the same. She didn't want to be farther away from him, she wanted to be near him. Even if he was being mean to her. She loved him just the same. She also knew that he loved her too.
Alerius still had the staff in hand and went up to one of the okren warriors with Aurela by his side. He looked down at the okren soldier and showed him the staff. No sooner then that, Karion came out of the cave. Alerius saw him and went over to him. He showed him the staff and Karion looked up in amazement.
Alerius laid it on the ground and a couple of calsins came and took it away inside the cave. Alerius watched them until they disappeared into the cave and then turned his attention back to Karion. "So, about getting out of here?"
Karion nodded his head and made a motion to one of the calsins next to him. That okren scurried off behind the cave. Alerius was expecting it to go inside but the okren, and some others, followed right behind around the cave entrance.
Alerius wondered how they were suppose to bring a ship out but his mind exploded with another and better question. Alerius had only watched the little reptiles for a second as they scurried off for the ship. His real attention was glued on Karion. His eyes returned right back to the okren leader as soon as the little lizards went on the move. "Answer me something Karion?"
Karion looked at both Aurela and Alerius. "If I can?"
Alerius grunted a bit. "Why was The Turquoise Steed in your 'graveyard'?"
Karion's eyes got really wide as this strange sound that came from behind the cave. Alerius ignored it.
Karion then just simply said, "Because we had no were else to put him. Besides, that wasn't a graveyard."
"Yes I know."
Alerius had put two and two together along time ago. He knew that the calsins were not vegetarians. He had seen the small sections taken out of the bodies of the dead in the diamond mortuary. He had seen the little containers of red chunks above his head. He knew that the diamond room was actually a kitchen of sorts.
Alerius then calmly said, "You didn't, you know…" Cutting himself off not being able to think about what they had done to this legend. He really didn't care about the others.
Karion got this shocked look on his face! "God no! The Turquoise Steed was a hero to us. We would never do that to him! He was in there because we still haven't gotten his resting sight done yet. We're burying him quite deep in the city. His resting place will be a monument to all. He died saving us you know?"
Suddenly, this big diamond ship came from behind the cave entrance and stopped right in front of Alerius and Aurela. It looked fantastic! It looked like a luxury ship and one that could sustain a long trip through the stars. If Alerius wasn't so transfixed on what had happen to The Turquoise Steed, he might have actually been impressed.
The ship had these two big prong sides that stuck out like pincers in the front. It had a glass canopy and inside was this white interior. There were two seats and it had similar looking controls of other ships he had seen. It had these huge wings on the sides that folded backwards like birds' wings in flight. The back of the ship had four large fins on it with a huge engine. The first two fins sticking out of the back came out length wise and the other two seemed to be crafted into the first two, standing tall, giving the ship a bigger look.
Alerius may have thought nothing of it at the time but Aurela was more then amazed. She went from Alerius's side to inspect the ship.
Karion scurried over to the ship as well and Alerius followed. Karion talked to Alerius as he stopped near the ship. The glass canopy on the ship opened and Karion didn't even stop to look back at Alerius. "Your destination has already been preset so you don't have to worry about driving. Just let the ship do the work."
"Were is this thing taking us?" Alerius asked.
Suddenly, All of their attention was turned to the powerful nebron! It had regained consciousness! It stood growling at the three. It then opened its wings and blasted off into the air like a rocket. It gave a low tone growl before it launched and when it blasted off the ground, the dirt on the ground followed it into the air about twenty feet until the monster disappeared from sight.
Alerius, Aurela, Karion, and the rest of the calsins were still looking at the sky when Alerius started talking to Karion again. "We don't have too much time." Both Karion and Alerius lowered their sights to each other simultaneously. "He'll be back with a larger force."
Alerius took the box-like bomb from around the grenade belt and put it next to Karion. "Here, blow the entrance to the cave! I'm sure you have other ways of getting on the planet surface then just this one cave!"
Karion seemed to smile. "We do."
"It'll take them a week maybe more to find you guys."
"It'll take them a hell of a lot longer then that!" Karion said with this young cockiness to his voice.
Alerius believed it. They had stayed hidden for fifty years, he figured they could stay hidden for fifty more if need be. They probably had cave systems all over Traxus.
Karion motioned to a couple of calsins and they took the bomb to the entrance of the cave. The other calsins hurried inside and the ones that had brought the bomb also rushed into the cave entrance disappearing from sight. The only okren left outside was Karion himself.
Alerius and Aurela both got into the ship. Karion continued on, "Alright Firius, you're set to go."
"Where?"
"Hogarth."
Alerius got this very stern and surprised look on his face. Hogarth was the hounds' home world!
"Why there?" Alerius asked.
"They can tell you more there. All I know is that every Leyline must travel to Hogarth to realize their true power. At The Visues Pyramid."
Alerius made this somewhat questioning look.
"They can explain more on Hogarth. You'll have a pit stop on planet Whitmore. This ship won't have enough fuel to get you to Hogarth. Don't worry, both will be expecting you. Now you'd better get going!"
The glass canopy began to close and Alerius asked one last question before it completely shut all the way, "How did the Steed die?"
The glass shut and the engine blasted with a loud roar. Fire exploded out of the back and the ship was about to take off. Karion was already too far away from the ship for it to do any harm to him. He was also too far from it for Alerius to hear a response. Karion answered the question in his own way.
Karion looked out towards the hill that Alerius had come over and Alerius looked out that way too. It was the Yellow Korzen! Alerius looked back at Karion and the okren king was still looking out at the traitor. Alerius couldn't believe it! He knew what Karion was telling him! That The Yellow Korzen was the cause of death! Alerius had no idea how and he probably didn't want to know!
The diamond ship positioned itself upward and suddenly blasted into the sky. A huge storm of dust was kicked up from the engine of the ship. It whirled up into the sky like a giant slow moving twister. It dissipated rapidly though and the two were gone. Karion looked up at them even after the
ship had disappeared from sight. He smiled somewhat and then looked back at Korzen. He saw the fury and rage in the traitorous agent's eyes. He had to get the cave entrance closed and fast.
Planet Traxus: The Hammer of Hell
Korzen finally regained consciousness and starred menacingly up at the sky. He felt the top right part of his head which had been struck by the staff. It was kind of singed and a sharp spike of pain went through his head when he touched it.
He got back to his feet and looked around for a bit. Something was different. The landscape had changed. It had taken on this somewhat purple tint. That wasn't the only thing though. Things seemed clearer to him. As if he could see the outlining of every grain of sand on the ground. He could also hear things better too. As if sound had been magnified for him. He shut his eyes for a minute and shook his head not being use to all these new senses.
Little did he know that it wasn't the landscape that had changed, it was him. He could smell things in the air he couldn't before. Hear sounds far off in the distance he couldn't before. The purple tint was not the landscape. It was a small side effect of his newly acquired night vision. It wasn't night so the tint wasn't that heavy, not yet.