Dragon Flames

Chapter 5

By: Malaca

"The time is growing closer, we must warn them," the Warlock growled.

Diagon floated in an empty darkness. There was no sky, no moon, no sun, and no stars. The ground was no more than a pale mist, intertwining in a magical dance at his feet. He looked at himself and snarled. He was in pure form, a demon to be feared.

"No!" he cried falling to his knees his hands covering his ears.

The shadows grew closer, the room shrank. He felt it growing closer, but he ignored it. A familiar aura blazed up in the distance. He looked up to see his friend, Malaca, battling a strange demon. She wore unique armor that radiated power. The demon grinned in his direction and then swallowed Malaca whole. The strange armor she wore coalesced into energy, allowing the demon to collect it in his own body. The demon picked his tooth clean of an arm, Malaca's arm. Diagon screamed.

"Diagon, wake up! Diagon!" a voice yelled at him.

His thrashing continued. Akira grimaced as one of his friend's claws manifested and slashed him deep in the shoulder. He ignored the blazing pain as he worked on relieving Diagon from his dream.

"Diagon, buddy, wake up now!" he screamed in his ear.

Focusing his ki, Akira forced a sharp stun into his friend's body. Diagon bolted up, throwing Akira across the room. Akira landed heavily against the wall. He grimaced again as he felt his wound. Diagon looked around startled. He saw Akira over in the corner holding his shoulder and collarbone in one hand. Akira's face was contorted in pain. Diagon widened his eyes, when he realized what he did.

"Hey man, I'm sorry," he said softly as he walked over to Akira.

Diagon made his claws disappear. He touched his friend's shoulder lightly. Akira pulled back at the pain of his touch. Diagon softly held his other shoulder to keep Akira from moving around.

"Let me have a look at it."

"No," Akira said between his teeth, "I'll be fine."

Diagon lightly cuffed him in the head, "And let my best friends walk around like this? No way. I caused it so I'm goin' to fix it. Or is all this leader stuff going to your head? You know Daemon will take you out the first time your injured, and I won't always be around to save your butt."

Akira lifted his pain filled eyes to meet Diagon's. He nodded.

"Hold on, I'll be right back," he said quietly.

He walked out the door and disappeared down the darkened corridors. Akira held in another grunt of pain so that he wasn't noticed by Daemon. Diagon appeared shortly after carrying a small med. kit. He closed the door behind him and put a powerful spell upon the lock. Akira struggled to sit up in protest, knowing that Diagon didn't have the energy to spare. Diagon helped him to lay back against the wall again.

"Don't worry about me 'none. I'll be all right. Let's just get you patched up, okay?"

Akira only managed to nod. Diagon pulled Akira's hand away from the left shoulder. Akira felt the blood start to flow from the wound, and he held back a yell in pain. Diagon hushed him with a touch. He slowly felt the shoulder. Akira tried to pull back, but didn't succeed under Diagon's firm grip. He massaged the shoulder gently. It was then Diagon's turn to grimace.

"Your collarbone is broken," he sighed squatting back on his heels.

Akira looked at him with pain filled eyes. Diagon felt his heart start to break. It was all his fault. Akira caught his look. He grabbed Diagon's arm hard with his right arm.

"Don't blame yourself for this. It was more my fault than yours. I should have paid more attention to what I was doing."

"And, if I wasn't this-, this abnormal person!" Diagon struggled to fight against Akira.

Akira looked at him with untold wisdom.

"You aren't to blame," he said quietly, holding his shoulder once more.

"You know, I think that this leadership thing has started to get to you. I am for blame, and I'm going to do something about it," he told his friend moving closer to examine the wound again.

Akira pulled back, "You don't have the strength. You barely have enough to live as it is."

"The cleansing is my problem, not yours. Stop moving!" Diagon yelled.

Akira complied. Diagon took a deep breath and placed his hands on Akira's shoulder. He closed his eyes and began to glow an arcane red. The red was matted and looked like dried blood. Akira looked at his friend worriedly.

'His power never looked like this before. Maybe with the cleansing he is trying to do he's actual polluting himself. I wish Malaca was here; she would know what to do.'

Diagon turned pale as he released a fastly healing shoulder. He fell back on his heels.

"Diagon, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired."

"Go to sleep. I'll take first watch for Daemon."

He stood up with Diagon's help. Diagon and Akira supported each other to their beds. Diagon nodded at his friend, and was soon consumed by the ever powering beast of the darkness. Akira moved from his bed to his friend's side. He brushed a black lock of hair out of his eyes and then frowned as he felt the flush of his friend's cheek.

"Diagon, when will you learn not to separate yourself? This cleansing is killing you."

"Hey, Sage is that you?" Sai called from the kitchen.

Sage glanced up in that direction, "Yeah!"

"Have you seen Malaca around? Ryo's starting to go berserk," he yelled over Kento.

"Sai, come on buddy. Just one little bite, that's all," Kento scrambled towards the food.

Sai, in a frilly apron, smacked his hand with a spoon.

"Oww, that hurt!" Kento yelled rubbing his hand.

"Serves you right. I told you to wait until it's time to eat."

"Everyone's here except for Malaca. Can't we eat without her?" he begged.

"No!"

"But, why!" he squealed.

"What is going on?" Malaca asked from the door.

"See, she's here. Can we eat now?"

Sai looked over at Malaca, "Yeah."

"Go on without out me; I'll eat later," Malaca mumbled.

Kento watched her walk away. When she was out of site, but not out of hearing, he growled low in his throat.

"How do you like that! We wait for her to show up and she doesn't even stay to eat. How rude!"

"You should talk," Rowen told him behind a book.

"I'm just saying," Kento said as he leaned closer to Rowen, "is that we don't know where she was the whole time. She could've been plotting with Talpa."

Sage wanted to jump in and defend her with the knowledge he had. At the last moment he held his tongue, knowing Malaca would be furious at him. Luckily Rowen beat him to the defense.

"That's just like you to judge her without even knowing who she is and where she's from," Rowen hissed.

"I know that she came from nowhere and with her came Talpa, bookworm," Kento threw back.

They growled at each other. Kento lunged at Rowen and Rowen slung his book into Kento's head. From then on, it was an all out brawl. All of the Ronins jumped in. Ryo defended Malaca and Sai tried to stop Kento. None of them realized Malaca stood watching them. The Ronins ran outside to continued the fight. Malaca followed close behind. As Kento pulled back his fist to hit Rowen he felt something grab his arm hard.

Malaca stood behind him holding his arm back, "What the hell do you think you are doing!"

Kento flipped her forward with a snarl. Malaca hit the ground and rolled forward with her momentum. The fall jarred her wrist, and she held back a cry of pain. The only emphatic in the group, Sage, fell down hard from the link. Tears fell freely from his face as he held in the pain. Kento charged forward at Malaca. Malaca dodged upwards. She swung on to a tree branch, out of the bulls reach. Kento grinned evilly as he shook the tree hard. Malaca felt the tree groan as Kento pulled it from the ground. Malaca was flung in to the air.

'Damn, Revenge hasn't covered flying yet!' she thought as she plummeted towards the ground.

A random thought ran in to her mind. She smiled.

Kento grinned, "Lets, see you get out of this one Malaca!"

As she fell to the ground, Malaca arched her back, throwing her arms back behind her. She arched her back forward again and threw her arms forward again. She smiled as she felt her fire collect in her hand. She concentrated hard.

"FIRE DEVIL SCREAM!" she called upon her power.

Red fire shot forth and hit the ground, easing her fall. She released the energy as she landed lightly on the ground. Her feet fell from underneath her. Malaca struggled against unconsciousness as she landed hard on her knees. Kento stood over her, Malaca kept her eyes low. She really didn't want to hurt him, but if she had to, she would. Kento raised his fist, encased in his sub armor over his head to slam in to Malaca. She looked up at him in the eye. Breathing hard, she looked at him with a sad gaze.

"Go ahead. This world has never been kind to me; why should it be now?" she asked not expecting an answer.

Kento's eyes widened at the thought. Kento assumed that if he tried to kill her that she would only throw him to the side with her power. He never expected that she would leave herself open like this. Kento realizes with a sinking heart that he really didn't want to kill her; he just wanted her to never exist. Malaca saw the softness in is eyes, but didn't quit.

"This is what you want, to see me helpless, isn't it? I really don't want to live anymore; this world is to harsh. The only reason I'm still alive is that I'm too good of a fighter to give in during battle, and I don't believe in suicide. It's the one sin my God can't forgive," she yelled at him.

In a quieter tone she continued, "And, I'll be damned to go to hell without taking some of this world's scum along with me."

Kento backed up, uncertainty in his eyes. A sinister voice chuckled.

"Eclipse, you always had a way to get to humans," it chuckled.

Malaca's head jerked up in surprise. A fog rolled in, and covered the ground in it's icy grip. Malaca slowly stood up, as she looked around in concern.

"Yara, is that you?" she called.

"As right as rain. That could only be expected from Star's friend," the voice laughed.

A girl, no older than 17 in appearance appeared on the scene. Her black hair had been pulled away from her face, allowing only her silver bangs to fall free in to her face. Her narrow violet eyes were sharp against her olive complexion.

"What do you want here, bitch?" Malaca snarled at her.

Yara chuckled, patting her staff against her booted foot.

"Only to check in on my dear friend, Eclipse," she laughed.

"I no longer go by that code, Yara. You know that," Malaca's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What a pity. It was such a lovely name, Eclipse. What ever shall I call you? Oh, yes. I suppose I should call you by your birth name, Niccole!" the girl chuckled again.

"Go to hell!" yelled Kento.

Yara looked at him from the corner of her eye, "I've been there thank you. I found it quite nice."

Ryo widened his eyes in disbelief. He looked over at Malaca who was snarling like a tiger at the girl.

"Leave us be, Yara!" she yelled at her.

"Why should I?" she laughed.

"Maybe I'll do the same that I did to your brother. The only reason I don't is because your uncle, Diagon, would be furious that I killed the last of his pathetic family!" to this Malaca spat on the ground as if the sound of it disgusted her.

Yara tensed up, "How dare you compare me to that traitor!"

"Traitor? If I remember correctly, you betrayed us!"

Yara snorted, "I turned my back on my family. You know how that is. My father, demanded me to return."

"Besides, when Diagon dies, I'll be the first to torture him in hell!" she chuckled in anticipation.

Malaca was thrown off-guard, "What are you talking about?"

"Pity, you didn't know? Diagon is putting himself through cleansing, the stupid devil."

"I'll kill you if you lie," Malaca snarled, moving closer to her prey.

Yara backed up in fear, "Go ahead, then I can join my father in hell!"

Malaca laughed cruelly, "Do you think the Devil himself would take in a half breed like yourself. Ha! I've never heard such a ridiculous claim!"

Her eyes narrowed, "That's it slayer, you will die."

Yara jumped for Malaca, her staff drawn. Malaca jumped at her, with the Lunar Eclipse sword unsheathed. Their weapons sent sparks flying when they connected. They held their stance in midair. Malaca snarled at Yara.

"How does it feel to be out classed, half-breed?" she sneered.

"Not as bad as a human-child, I suppose, my former fearless leader!" Yara yelled back.

They threw each other backwards.

"Traitor!"

"Human!"

Malaca crouched down low. Snarling fiercely at her opponent she threw down the Eclipse sword. As it fell to the ground, it disappeared in a flame of blue. Yara saw this and readied her staff. Malaca then pulled her hidden knives out of their sheaths. Concentrating her power, she commanded them to lengthen. They did so, changing shape to become two sais. Malaca stood up, before taking a side stance with her sais crossed in front of her. Rowen looked over at Sai.

"Is it just me, or are you lost," he whispered.

Sai nodded wide eyed in confusion. Sage wheezed as he still tried to get a grip on his power. Rowen looked over at his friend in concern, knowing that his friend could see others pain and could sometimes glimpse into the future when he had visions.

"Sage?" Rowen asked kneeling by him, "Are you okay?"

Sage wheezed again, and them shook his head no. Rowen grabbed his arm and steadied his friend. Sage gave him a smile of gratitude.

"Die demon!" Malaca screamed launching herself at Yara.

Yara smiled and readied her bladed staff. Malaca slashed out with the twin sais, only to find that Yara's staff intercepted them. Yara sneered at Malaca's face.

"Tell me, will you have the guilty conscious when I kill them like I did to Bunker #9?" she laughed.

"You bitch!" Malaca screamed.

Yara pushed forward with her staff. Malaca ducked underneath it and slashed Yara with her sais. Yara brought her weapon up loosely causing both weapons to fly. Malaca cursed, while Yara smiled. She threw a punch into Malaca's side while she wasn't looking. Malaca winced as she felt her ribs crack and break. She then kneeled Yara hard in the stomach with her knee. Yara grabbed her stomach with a grunt. Malaca then reversed directions with her same leg and gave Yara a hard straight legged kick in the spine. Yara fell to the ground, but rolled out of the way as Malaca slammed her foot down again. The two warriors jumped away from each other.

"Malaca, you're loosing your touch. Most opponents would be dead by now!"

"You know I never give up, Yara!" Malaca screamed back.

"I see, well lets see if you've still got it!"

"AQUARIUS ICE SHOWER FLY!" Yara screamed connecting her fingers in a triangular pattern.

Pure ice raced from her fingers in an attempt to hit Malaca. Malaca instantly retaliated.

"EARTH SONIC ECHO!" Malaca yelled throwing her attack with a flick of her left wrist.

The attacks hit each other hard. Malaca and Yara concentrated equally as hard, as their powers stalemated.

Hey all-

Malaca her again. Sorry about cutting ya' off like that, but I couldn't resist a cliffhanger. Don't worry, the battle will get good.

Till next time...

Malaca