The Pale War

by Max Jager

  Aurela and Alerius both hopped into the hummer and Rock was about to slam the door shut. Aurela suddenly stopped him! Rock looked over at Alerius with this strange look etched on his face. Alerius had about the same look on his face. Aurela starred across the field of battle. She saw the Turquoise shotgun lying on the ground along with the holstered Scorpions and Yellow Korzen's large revolver. The Scorpions had been blasted out of the chamber in The Pyramid when Aurela had attacked Flaming and had landed on the battlefield right next to the other lost weapons. It seemed to landed almost in walking distance of the hummer. The orange goop on the ground flowed like magma towards the guns.

  Alerius yelled at Aurela, "Aurela, come on! We have to go! Leave them!"

  She calmly got out of the hummer and walked calmly up to the guns. Two volcanis came running up to her but she propelled them right into the gel-like stuff with hardly any effort. They landed with a splash and growled in agony as their bodies disappeared slowly in the ooze. Left in their wake though were new bodies. Not only was this orange stuff acidic it was some kind of transmutation gel.

  It gobbled up the two volcanis and seemed to spit them out a new. They had grown in size and height. They seemed like steroid induced versions of their previous selves. They had giant, black ligaments pop out of their shoulder blades and move about like tentacles. They growled at Aurela but she didn't even pay attention to them. Alerius and Rock could only look on in shock at what Aurela had just done!

  She got back in the car with the shotgun and the Scorpions firmly held. She then looked over at Rock and said, "Now, we can go."

  The vehicle tore off through the hellions and the guns up top were kept busy with all of the zealots on the side. The vehicle roared up the Viseus Hill across from The Pyramid and back into the city.

  Planet Hogarth: All Out War

  The city no longer looked like a city. It was now a fortress. The whole perimeter of the city was guarded by hounds. They made a living wall around the city with a huge tank every twentieth hound or so. They were extremely prepared for war!

  The vehicle blasted through the ranks and into the city. (The vanguard outside didn't even try to stop it. They knew exactly who it was.)

  Inside the city, there were thousands of hounds marching all over the place. Most of them had bladed weaponry but a large selection also had fully automatic assault rifles. Both Alerius and Aurela were nervous.

  The hummer skidded to a dead stop right in front of the castle. Rock exited quickly as Alerius and Aurela followed suite. Rock was marching right into the castle and as he did, it seemed that other soldier hounds were coming up to him and growling at him. Rock was growling right back. Alerius knew a frustrated general when he saw one. Rock was extremely frustrated. Alerius could only think to himself, 'There getting killed out there!'

  Rock busted into the castle and started going up the steps that led to the main control room. Alerius and Aurela both followed right behind him. Rock wasn't even walking anymore. He had a more animal march to him as he ascended the stairs. He busted right into the control room and all the hounds in the room were running around like maniacs! Rock walked right up to the display console that had shown the Viseus Pyramid before. He hit some buttons and when the screen turned on, there was nothing but this red glow. The whole screen was a bright red.

  Rock growled angrily at the screen. Aurela turned to Alerius. "I think the Viseus Pyramid is gone."

  Rock pounded the console and let out this fierce roar! The red screen jumped and the hounds running around in the room only paused for a second but went right back to what they were doing.

  Aurela let out a monotone breath of disappointment. "That confirms it."

  She finally released the shotgun from her tight grip being overwhelmed with disappointment. It dangled next to her along with the holsters that held the Scorpions. In a melancholy action, she pointed the shotgun at Alerius with the end towards him and the Scorpions flung over the top. "You dropped these, by the way."

  Alerius looked at Aurela and he too let out a huff of realization. He grabbed the shotgun and the SMGs, both of them distraught over what had happen to the once angelic alter.

  Rock pushed a couple of buttons and a hound in the room came racing up to him. They both started growling and barking at each other. They both were pushing buttons on the console. The screen was changing each time.

  Alerius leaned into Aurela, putting the shotgun back on his back, not taking his eyes off the console's screen. "What's going on?" he asked as he strapped the two holsters back around his hips.

  "Hogarth is under severe attack."

  "What are they saying?"

  "Fifty-thousand troops are storming Rocoster. (A major military base where the hounds kept thousands of military vehicles.) Daraynn is completely destroyed. (Another major city like Ragnak.) Minatosa is wiped out. (A more civilian based city.) They estimate that more then twenty million hellion soldiers are on the ground at this moment and there will be close to sixty million in five hours time."

  Alerius looked down at the floor. "How can this be?"

  "They know that I just beat back The Flaming Meteorite. They figure if they hit every spaceport city on this planet they can at least keep us trapped here until it regains it's strength to come and kill us. Plus, maybe they'll get lucky and kill one or both of us in the process."

  Alerius took a couple of quick looks at Rock and the other hound. "They know all that?"

  Aurela looked at Alerius with that same battle hardened look she had gained ever since her transformation at The Pyramid. "No, but I do."

  "We've got to get off this planet!"

  "Yes, we do. We need to get to Wrath Burn."

  Alerius swiftly turned his head to Aurela in utter shock! "Are you…INSANE? That's like running from a gunner's nest right into a tank!"

  Aurela's eyes were as golden as the sun and as hard as ice. "Flaming's there! He must die!"

  Alerius's sarcasm shifted into overdrive as he said, "Oh, okay! Well after we dispatch of the some tens-of-billions of hellions on the ground, take care of the eighty million tanks and other armored vehicles, and then single handedly take care of…the entire hellion space fleet! Then we can get right on that! Sure!"

  Aurela began to giggle.

  Alerius could only cock both of his eyebrows in absolute confusion! "What is so funny?"

  "God, I love you!" That old soft tone of Aurela's had somehow escaped her.

  Alerius had noticed it, it was just that he was so shocked by her actions toward this whole situation that he couldn't really be overjoyed by it.

  Rock had noticed the two talking to each other. He walked over to them and growled out to them. Aurela muttered something back. Rock again growled and made a strange bark. Aurela began to respond back and before Alerius even knew what had just happened, the two had just had entire conversation with each other. Rock walked out of the control room and Aurela followed close behind.

  Alerius was left standing there with all of these hounds running around feeling extremely awkward. 'What the hell just happen?'

  He decided to finally go and look for Aurela and Rock. He went down a few strange hallways until he finally caught sight of Aurela and Rock. He followed them for about twenty minutes until they seemed to both stop.

  In front of Rock was this huge metal door. To the right was this keypad lock. Alerius gently touched Aurela on the shoulder to get her attention.

  Alerius had never felt so powerless and so not-in-control in his whole life. Ever since Aurela had changed, it was like all power had been taken from him. Somehow though, seeing her rise from her frail-self to this powerful force that she had now become made his love only grow more for her. He only loved her but now he was starting to respect her.

  He asked her, "What is going on? I want some answers, now!"

  Aurela just smiled a sweet smile at him and she calmly said, "Inside dear."

  "What?"

  The metal door opened up after Rock had put in
the code. Inside were four big hounds. They were fully armed with assault rifles. They also had grenades and were decked out in red. Whoever these hounds were they were mean, well trained, and didn't look like they were in a good mood. One of them came up to Rock. It roared right in his face!

  Alerius and Aurela were both a little shocked by this. Rock just roared right back. This went on for about twenty seconds until the other one backed off and went right back to the same place it was before with that same look!

  Alerius looked over at Aurela, "What was all that about?"

  Aurela looked at Alerius and just shrugged her shoulders. "Must be a guy thing."

  Alerius flashed her a sarcastic look.

  The room itself looked like some kind of security room. To the right was a whole cache of weapons. Almost directly across from the metal door they had come in was another metal door with another keypad lock. To the left was a row of human made monitors on a console. Eight of them in all. Four and the four below those. They were old equipment and were hardly in color. Alerius knew exactly what this room was now. "It's a guard station." Which was a room that basically observes cells and inmates in a prison!

  That's exactly where they were, a prison! Usually, prisons had whole planets and colonies set aside for them. This one was directly right in the castle. Of course, the hounds that were in the room looked like they could handled any hellion or traitorous soldier easily.

  Rock stepped up to the door across from the one they had entered and entered a code. The door opened and Rock invited the both of them to go in. Alerius knew that the door lead right into the holding cell area.

  Aurela was about to start heading towards the open door but Alerius suddenly stopped her. "Wait a minute Aurela, you told me that you were going to tell me what the hell was going on!"

  She smiled and in that old sweet tone of hers said, "I did, didn't I."

  Alerius slowly nodded his head. Aurela then said something that surprised him. "Firius, you're right."

  Alerius cocked his brow.

  "We can't just simply walk onto Wrath Burn. Even with all my powers there's no way we could get through alive. So, what would a dangerous 'tour' like this need?"

  "Aurela, you're not making a damn bit of sense! Just spit it out!"

  "A tour guide."

  "Huh?" Alerius watched as Aurela turned her back on him and began to head through the door. Alerius was still dumbfounded until she was out of sight. "Hey, wait a minute!"

  He followed her through the door and that's when it slammed shut behind them. Aurela just stared down the narrow hallway while Alerius was screaming at the door. "Hey Rock! Open this door, right now!"

  Aurela hit Alerius on the back causing him to turn around fast. He thought maybe she was in trouble but actually she was just getting his attention. She put her finger to her lips, "Shhhhh."

  She turned back around and began to walk down the hallway. Alerius began to follow her, ready for anything. They both could see there were eight holding cells all together. Aurela began to talk to him as they walked down the hallway looking in each cell just out of curiosity. "He's the last one down here, to the left."

  "Who?"

  The first cell to the left held a young looking hound that was in the corner, growling at them. He looked more like an animal then a rational being. Of course, Alerius supposed that the hound civilization had their outcasts too.

  Aurela was still talking as she headed down the hallway slowly. Talking about this mysterious prisoner. This "last one to the left".

  "They caught him about ten years ago. They figured that he had been on the planet about three times longer then that! They concluded that he had been sent as a spy to infiltrate the castle, gather intelligence, report back to Wrath Burn, and then; when the time was right, kill Captain Rock."

  "I thought he was a general?"

  From Alerius's immediate right a vicious hellion volcanis attacked his cell. Alerius jumped a bit going for his shotgun. It was instinct. The cell was straight across from the one with the young hound in it. Alerius regained his composure knowing that the prisoner couldn't get out. He looked back at Aurela as she still proceeded down the hallway.

  Aurela then answered Alerius's question in regards to Rock being a captain, "Not at the time." Aurela continued. "It took at least twelve tries and about over a hundred Wild hounds to finally catch him. That was when they actually found out about him. He's escaped from here twice in just the past five years."

  They past the second set of cells. Both contained hellions.

  "What they did find out from some hostile 'questioning' was that he has been in Hell's service for about 200 years. He is probably the best assassin and spy for the hellions ever! At least, that's what they think."

  They passed the third set. To the left was a crab looking creature. Alerius didn't recognize it and he figured he didn't want to. To the right was a sleeping gelatine. One of those frog people like Benjamin and Washington.

  "What they didn't get was that he's not as good as they suspect he is. He is one of Hell's top 50 but he's not 'thee' best. He does know Wrath Burn better then most though and can probably get us to The Meteorite without facing Wrath Burn's entire army. He's been in Hell's services a lot longer then just a measly 200 years too. Its more like 200,000."

  Alerius took Aurela lightly by the shoulder. "How do you know all this?"

  Aurela caressed Alerius's hand gently and whispered to him, "Rock told me most of it but that last part, I knew already." She then let go and walked over to the last cell on the left.

  Alerius took a big breath and walked over next to her.

  This cell was different then the others. The others had been just iron bars but this one was a big steel door. Alerius looked around to see if there was anyway to see him. There wasn't. There wasn't even a monitor anywhere near the door. Just this big, metal door.

  Alerius looked at Aurela and asked, "Well, how do we even know he's in there?"

  Suddenly the door lunged forward and almost came right off the hinges! A lot of red blood came out from under the door and both of them took a couple steps back. It made quite a big puddle in the middle of the hallway.

  Alerius's eyes went a little frantic. "Is he dead?"

  Suddenly this deep voice came from beyond the door. It was like it was in both of their heads. It wasn't muffled or disoriented in anyway. "Oh no rogue, just finishing lunch."

  Alerius looked stunned at Aurela. His eyes as wide as saucers. He barely got it out. "Oh forget this!" Alerius began to walk back down the hallway to the exit door. The voice though stopped him. "I wouldn't do that, rogue!"

  Alerius just turned his head toward the cell door but didn't turn to face it. "Give me one damn good reason why!"

  "Wrath Burn. Of course, if you want to go it alone, be my guest. One less rogue in the world and no effort by me."

  Alerius turned to look at the door. He walked right up to it. Even standing in the puddle of blood of some poor being that this thing beyond the door had eviscerated in some unimaginable way.

  Aurela was still beyond the blood not wanting anything to do with it. "So you are willing to help us?" Aurela asked.

  The voice from beyond the door blasted out, "I have no intention talking to you, angel! Be gone daughter of light!"

  Alerius looked over at Aurela. "I don't think you should leave."

  Aurela just smiled. "It's alright. Don't worry, I'll be here with you." She went to caress Alerius's hand but he coldly lurched his hand away from hers. She looked at him hurt and said, "That's okay Firius, I still love you." She then turned and began to walk back down the hallway.

  Alerius softly whispered under his breath, "I love you too." He was still upset with himself that he couldn't confess his love for her face-to-face. He wondered if he would ever be able to tell her.

  Planet Hogarth: Admission To Hell

  The voice broke Alerius's concentration. "You need a moment alone, rogue?"

  Alerius looked at the do
or disgusted. "Shut-up!"

  "Ah, I like a person that can feed off of his emotions. Reminds me of somebody you know."

  Alerius just made a small huff, "Like who?"

  "A certain other rogue you know."

  Alerius's hard persona just melted. He took another step towards the door. "How could you know about that?" Another time that he was thrown completely out of control.

  "I know a lot rogue. More then you can possibly imagine and even more I can deduce."