The Pale War

by Max Jager

  Alerius whipped out the double Scorpions and sent a hailstorm of bullets into the demon. He reacted to them but that was all he did. Black blood poured from the demon's chest and abdomen. The impact of the bullets had an effect on Domaren and slowed him down but did not actually do anything to wound him. Alerius cut off the guns and put them back in their holsters. Firing normal bullets at him was meaningless!

  Alerius tried another attack on the powerful nebron. It didn't work. He rolled a few times and grabbed The Turquoise Shotgun and took aim. This time, Domaren wasn't going to wait for Alerius to get up on his own. He grabbed him by his neck and hoisted him up into the air.

  Alerius only stayed in the demon's possession for several seconds. He began to rock in the demon's grip and when he had enough of a swing, he brought both his feet up and hammered both of them into Domaren's bottom jaw.

  Both of them fell to the ground on their backs. They were both in pain. Alerius more so then Domaren. Alerius moved first though. He crawled on top of Domaren and shoved the barrel of the shotgun right into the demon's mouth and was about to pull the trigger.

  Domaren quickly wrapped his hands around Alerius's wrists. He then twisted Alerius's wrists making him drop the shotgun again. Domaren then hoisted him straight up in the air and threw him off of him about ten feet! He twitched a little bit in pain. Domaren got up and had the shotgun in his hands!

  Alerius got up too but Domaren already wrapped the shotgun around his throat! He began choking the life out of Alerius. Alerius though got enough space between him and the weapon and flipped right over Romedus's back and then began to strangle Domaren! He had reversed the move completely! Domaren let out a few choked breathes of air as Alerius leaned all of his body weight backwards. Domaren struggled against the powerful rogue until finally he got a distance between him and the weapon. He tightened his neck and then took off with Alerius in the air! He twist in the air and landed hard smashing Alerius into the ground, back first.

  Alerius lost control of the shotgun and it bounded near Aurela. Alerius choked and rolled with pain. Domaren was already back up to his hooves. He circled Alerius like his prey. The rogue lying wounded on the hot floor of the volcano.

  Domaren then stomped over to him, walking by Aurela, and picked him up by the back of his hair. Alerius struggled a bit but it was no use. He wriggled to free himself like a worm on a hook. Unfortunately, all it seemed to do was cause him more pain. He tried to hit Domaren from behind but he couldn't see where he was throwing his punches or kicks. Not a one hit their mark and Domaren threw him close to the lava pond's edge.

  Alerius rolled onto his back and that's when he saw The Hammer coming at him like a raging bull! Alerius rolled out of the way as Domaren's hoof came crashing down where he use to be. Again, Domaren tried this maneuver again and it failed. He kept this up four more times and each time Alerius rolled out of the way.

  The demon was getting tired of playing with Alerius and was ready to finish the fight once and for all. Alerius was still on the ground when Domaren stepped over to him and was about to pick him up by his neck again. Alerius quickly reacted and punched the nebron right in the face. The demon was unaffected and grabbed Alerius by his neck but he didn't get a chance to hoist him up.

  Alerius let loose a furry of punches and hit the monster in the face at least twenty times! Domaren finally backed off a little shaken. Alerius got back up on his feet. He raced right up to Domaren as he was still a little off balance from the furry of punches. Alerius jumped up in the air and gave him a back horse-kick. Domaren was knocked back a step. Alerius then spun his whole body like a top and sent his fist right into The Hammer's ribs! Again, Domaren was knocked back a step.

  Alerius then jumped right on top of him like a rabid dog and began pounding the left side of his face with his fist while he hung on with his other one. Domaren was about to fall on the ground until he grabbed Alerius by the sides of his clothes. He hoisted him up into the air and then dropped him down onto the ground!

  Alerius was hurt. Aurela was still on the sidelines, with the shotgun next to her, watching in horror what was happening to Alerius. She wouldn't interfere though. She loved him so much that she figured that this should be his fight. She could feel that he wanted to fight alone. Even if his life was at stake and there was a good possibility that he could die. She wouldn't interfere. He was hurt and she could hardly take watching this horrible display. She wouldn't interfere. Through all of these things they had been through she didn't even have to use her powers to read his mind or know his thoughts. She knew in her heart what he wanted. She wouldn't interfere.

  Domaren picked up Alerius by the throat and hoisted him up by one hand. He then walked him over to the lava pond. He was going to do the same thing he had done to Braxus! Alerius struggled with all his might but it did no good. This was the end for him!

  Domaren's crushing grip on his neck was too much. He couldn't fight anymore. The only thing he could do now was hold onto his arm and hope that when Domaren let go, he would be able to hang on.

  Aurela folded up into a small ball. She turned her head. She couldn't take it. She wanted to stop Domaren so badly but she couldn't. She couldn't bare to see Alerius dropped into the lava pond. To see him sink down into the fire liquid of melted rock and magma.

  She looked at the Turquoise Shotgun and thought about using it. She thought about stopping Domaren's approach to the lava pond by any means necessary. She wouldn't though. She also knew something that neither Domaren nor Alerius knew. Something that was also keeping her on the sidelines.

  Alerius looked down at the magma and his life began to flash before his eyes. He wished so badly that he could have had the guts to tell Aurela he loved her. He wished so much he could have confessed his love to her. He would give up almost anything to have just one last chance to tell her how he really felt! Just to utter those three words he so desperately wanted to say. He just hadn't had the guts to say them. Through all the battles and wars he had been through, he could never muster the courage to tell her how he felt. Now, it was too late and he would never get another chance!

  Domaren let go of Alerius's throat and by that time Alerius let go of the demon's arm. He didn't feel that he even deserved to live. He should have told everything he wanted to say to Aurela but he hadn't. It was the only real regret he had and the only regret he would ever really have.

  His body hit the lava and he sunk down into the fire liquid and he didn't even try to scream. 'What's the point?' He thought to himself. There was no real point. He just sank right into the lava and let death take him. This was it for him. Soon, he would be dead.

  Domaren watched his body sink right down into the lava until there was nothing left of him. Alerius was gone. Domaren had won. He turned to Aurela and saw her crying to herself. He stomped over to her. She had her head buried in her hands and she was crying hard to herself.

  Domaren opened his left hand and a huge fireball formed. He growled this pleasurable sound. He was about to finish off both a rogue and a Leyline! Not just any rogue or Leyline either.

  Red Firius: A rogue that had faced down many battles and one of the best of the younger agents. Had saved the dragon home world of Reign single handedly, survived the destruction of Scalobore, numerous attacks by the demon agent Yellow Korzen, saved and protect Aurela thus far, and had gotten her to The Viseus Pyramid unscathed.

  Aurela was the Leyline who was suppose to save the universe from the hellion forces. She was the last hope for humanity and now she wasn't even trying to fight back! Even though she had never heard Alerius say it back to her she knew in her heart that he did. That he did love her and now he was gone, or so, she was making it appear.

  Domaren enlarged the fireball and aimed it right at her. He extended his arm and was about to launch the flaming orb when suddenly he watched Aurela kick the Turquoise Shotgun right towards the lava pond. He followed it with his eyes and watched in shock as a human rogue's hand reached out of the lava and gr
abbed it. Domaren's fireball extinguished itself and Aurela smiled softly with her fake tears glistening on her soft blue cheeks.

  Alerius dragged himself right out of the lava rising out of it like being born from the molten rock. He stepped onto the outer ring of the lava pool with the Turquoise Shotgun in hand. The lava dripping off of him like embryonic fluid. His face was etched with rage and he stood with a seemingly new found purpose. He cocked the shotgun and aimed it right at the bewildered nebron.

  Domaren struggled against all reason to understand how this "mortal" had survived a lava bath! It was too late for him to react though as Alerius fired the shotgun and the plasma round hit Domaren dead-center of his chest. The bragon was brought to his knees as he reached for his chest in pain.

  Alerius threw The Shotgun lightly and grabbed it by the pump. He cocked it and aimed it right at the demon. "You're dead, goat bitch!"

  Domaren just roared loudly at Alerius. He couldn't understand how he could still be alive! It didn't make any sense to him at all! He should have been completely dead! His physical being shouldn't have even existed anymore! Did he come back from the dead as a more powerful entity? Was he a Leyline in disguise? None of it made sense!

  It didn't make sense to Alerius either but he didn't care though. He was alive and back! Domaren charged at Alerius but he spun to miss the charging demon. Alerius let another plasma shell loose hitting Domaren and the demon was knocked back several steps.

  Alerius pumped the shotgun and again shot Domaren. Domaren was close to the lava pond that Alerius had just emerged from and Alerius knew exactly what to do. Now it was the demon's turn to take a dip!

  Again, the dragon slayer was knocked back from the shot and was now teetering on the edge of the lava pond.

  Alerius cocked the last plasma shell in place and said, "It's a long hard road out of Hell, isn't it?"

  He blasted the nebron's head with plasma energy that seemed to be the only thing that could hurt the powerful demon. Domaren swung his arms and torso splashing back first into the molten rock! He sunk down deep into the lava and was gone from sight.

  Alerius fell to the ground and was lying on his back breathing heavily. Aurela came running over to him and hugged him. Alerius couldn't help it and returned her embrace. They sat there hugging each other for at least a minute. When they came apart from each other Alerius asked, "What the hell did you do to me?"

  Aurela kind of smiled. Her tears were glistening on her face. "I won't be around all the time to protect you from fire. Every time I've healed you, it seems, that you've been burnt or burned." she said with a laugh. "So I decided to save myself some trouble. You couldn't even walk around here without your feet getting burnt, dear."

  "So, what? Now I can't be hurt from anything involving fire?"

  "Yeah!" She said with another laugh.

  "Fireproof." He said getting up with a laugh of his own. Aurela got up with him herself. "I should apply for the fire department!" He said laughing in between his words.

  She was somewhat laughing with him. They were both looking at each other with intense stares. Stares of love.

  Alerius had his second chance. He was going to tell her what she wanted to hear. "Aurela…"

  She leaned into him. "Yes?" She was anxious to hear him say it. She knew exactly what he wanted to say. She had her full attention on him. She was ready. She had been ready ever since she saw him to hear those three special words.

  Alerius took a couple of deep breathes. He opened his mouth to say it but he couldn't! He wanted to say them but something was preventing him. He still had that same stupid feeling! Even after coming back from virtually a mental death he still couldn't tell her! Here was his second chance that he had hoped for. To say all the things he wanted to her and he knew she wanted to hear every last word of them but he couldn't bring himself to say them. His mind was still deadlocked on not telling her the three words she wanted to hear.

  "We should get going." He then walked away from her and began to head for the exit. He put the shotgun back on his back.

  She looked at him with a heart-filled sorrow. She couldn't believe that he still couldn't confess his love for her. She knew he wanted to. She knew he wanted to, badly. She couldn't understand why he still hung onto what Korzen had said or why he was denying himself her love. Why he felt that the mission was more important. He wasn't The Yellow Korzen! That would never happen to him!

  She didn't know how long she could go without hearing him say those words. She had to hear them! For her own sake she had to hear them. She wanted to hear them. She needed to hear them! There was no point for her to go on living without hearing those words. She wanted to be loved. She wanted love and she wanted his love. She would have no other.

  (So, looks like were coming to the end. There's not much left to go. Remember to please read & review. You can tell me the bad stuff too. It's okay. If there is no bad stuff, in your opinion, then I want to know about it. There is maybe three chapters left. How will it all end?)

  Planet Wrath Burn: Retirement

  She followed him out. They got up to the third floor chamber. This one was like the first chamber they had been in only this one had a flowing waterfall of magma. It should have been filling the chamber but there was a long slit in the floor where it was going through. It seemed that the flowing magma was being channeled to another chamber in the volcano. To where though, neither one of them knew and they really didn't want to know.

  Alerius looked around and there was no exit out of the room. In each of the previous two chambers, there had been ways out but this one was nothing but an uninterrupted rock wall. It circled around until it came to the lava waterfall. Alerius could see that the only way through was through the magma. (At any other time in his life, that would have presented a problem.)

  He lead Aurela right for it when he stopped cold in his tracks. He felt a dangerous evil approaching them. Aurela felt it too. They both realized what it was at the same time and that's when it appeared. It came right through the falls, not being effected by the fire liquid at all. It just outstretched its arms as it came through.

  It was Korzen! When he did come through the fall, his whole body went through some kind of transformation! It looked more like a mutation to Alerius and Aurela. His arms were melted off by the lava and underneath was this yellow fur! His hands melted off and underneath were these black clawed hands! The claws looked just like Braxus's!

  He then went through the fall completely and when he did, his mutation was compete! He now no longer even resembled any kind of human life form. He looked more like a yellow, demon hound! His eyes were red snake eyes. His face was completely canine looking. That yellow tail still swung to and fro. Where those bumps on his somewhat human looking head had been; now on his new hound looking head, were these two big outward pointing black horns! They looked like huge bull horns! They curved at the ends and were pointed straight at Alerius!

  Alerius looked at Yellow Korzen in horror! "What? How? Korzen, look at you!"

  Korzen just growled at him and one discernible word could be understood from it. "FIRIUS!"

  His voice was completely gone! It wasn't even a voice anymore. Just a growl. Just an animal moan that formed a word.

  Alerius couldn't believe what had happen to him! It was like he was experiencing some bad nightmare! "Look at yourself Korzen! You're not even 'you' anymore!"

  Korzen just growled at him again. Then, the monster demon that Korzen had become went charging right at Alerius! He had no idea what to do. He could sense he had no chance against him. He knew that this demon wasn't even going to play around with him. It was just going to straight up murder him. Alerius didn't even have any more ammo for the Turquoise Shotgun.

  Alerius hadn't excepted yet that the once great rogue known as The Yellow Korzen was dead; engulfed by his hate and had died along time ago. This thing was all that remained. This hellion demon that nowhere even resembled the once super soldier. The Yellow Korzen.


  The demon came right at him and with its claws extended, it roared as it came in for the kill. "DIE!"

  Alerius didn't know what to do! It wouldn't matter if he dodged anywhere, he would be sliced into pieces! He braced for the impact!

  Suddenly, He saw Aurela come in between him and Korzen. Alerius looked at Aurela and saw that she had blocked the demon's arm with her own! Korzen struggled against Aurela's might but she was too strong! He roared in her face but she held him at bay.

  Alerius looked at Aurela and said, "Aurela?"

  Aurela didn't even turn her focus onto Alerius. "He's too strong for you Firius. He'd kill you without even thinking about it. He could kill just about anything in this universe easily. There's only one thing that stands a chance against him. Me!" Aurela then pushed the monster away. Korzen just roared at her and tried again for Alerius. Aurela whipped out her hand and pushed him down onto the ground without even touching him. Korzen nipped-up onto his feet and growled at them both!

  Aurela started taunting him as her skin began to glow. Her eyes began to glow slightly this golden shine. She started to float off the ground as she spoke. "You have let your selfishness and hate consume you. You have betrayed all your allies and your own soul. Now its time to pay Korzen! The crime you have committed is the worse crime that any life form can commit in the eyes of God!"