Chapter 4: Out of the ShadowLake territory

A vast field of daffodils and sunflowers spanned out surrounded by a white raging sea, an island blanketed by blue skies devoid of white clouds on a sunny day.

Grey completed the picturesque image standing half naked in nothing but fishing shorts. He had no idea where he was or how he got there. Though the beautiful smells and whistling of the wind seemed all too familiar.

"Grey!" He heard an echo in The distance. Looking around he saw nothing but yellow and a subtle green past miles and miles in every direction.

"Grey!" He heard again, a feminine voice calling out to him that came clearer this time.

"Lana?" He said. Finding the direction it came. He waded through waist high flower towards her voice...

"Grey, help me!" Her echoed, weaker than before almost a whisper..

"Am coming Lana!" He screamed pushing past stems drawing closer to the source.

"Grey!" He got there, Lana laying in a patch of flowers soaked in blood from multiple holes in her body. He went to her supporting body in his arms. He rocked back and forth comforting her the best way he could.

"I got you, it's going to be okay!" He said, chin buried in her brown hair.

"No.. it's... It's not!" She coughed up blood trying to speak.

"You can't save me.. you can't save any of us!" She coughed up more blood..

Suddenly the sky turned dark and all colour faded. They were now in a battle field. The smell of burning flesh took the air. Burning bodies littered about, some whole and others in pieces..

"You couldn't save us! But you can save her!" She held his hand tight convulsing in pain...

"No... No.. Lana!" He screamed holding her tight..

Grey...

Grey wake up!

Eyelids shot open registering the sharp part of an axe hovering over his head. In a rush, he rolled out of the way letting it tear into the ground. He was on his feet with a quick spring to face a man in a mask wielding an axe with numerous shards of glossy black stone stuck in the metal.

He looked to the side to find Ten pinned to the wall with a long silver bar going out of her shoulder. Her breath coming shallow by the seconds as her dripping blood contributed to a small pool forming under her.

Human? He caught the attackers scent as he took a swing of the Axe aiming for Grey's chest. Grey stepped sideways grabbing the handle of the axe. With just a hit of his elbow the attacker was knocked out cold.

"Grey.. Aaron..." She pointed a bloody finger towards the locked silver gates Missing several bars. She wanted to say more but couldn't as she held onto the bar.

A low snarl vibrated in his chest, his wolf coming to life in response to a powerful threat. His eyes took a glow like coals touched by a continuous stream of air. Faint but perfect, a show of deadly force within.

He walked through the gates, heat radiating off him melted the bars to a puddle.

------

Aaron sat by the mouth of the dungeon nursing a deep gnash into his abdomen, a smoking shotgun sitting by his side.

"Son of a..." Aaron growled cursing his luck as he pushed his leather jacket deeper into the wound to stop the bleeding.

His sights fell on Grey waking fear in him. He grabbed the shotgun facing the smokiy end of the barrel towards Grey. He couldn't keep it up with an arm, he stood forgetting all about the wound.

"Stay back!" He pumped the barrel.

"Show yourself!" Grey could barely speak with a mouth full of canines as he shared consciousness with his wolf.

"I said stay back!" His finger tense on the the trigger.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Grey roared, a mixture of two voices. One human and the other a boom of a beastly roar.

The gun left Aaron's grip sliding across the floor, his irises adopting a red shade depicting the presence of a demon. The wound didn't matter, Aaron's body was now a vessel holding another presence. He stood with a smug look on his face.

"Okay, you got me!" He tore off what was left of the soaked t-shirt cleaning off blood as best he could.

"Where is the sword?" Grey asked with a dual voice.

"Oh come on.. you can't be stupid enough to think I'd tell you! What is my father even worried about!?" He said. His cheeky persona angered Grey even more. He charged grabbing the demon by the neck with a fire filled hand.. flesh sizzling under his touch.

"Aaaa... Nope, I don't feel a thing! See am not actually here, just ridding a line from my father's telephone booth!" He grabbed Grey's arm. His bones cracking under the pressure of the demon's grip as he pulled it away. The glow in Grey's eyes flickering...

"You are just giving this meat suit a really nice ink job.. well, fire job... It might have been hid dieing wish, you never really know with these things.." Grey threw a fist but the caught crushing both hands as he brought Grey to his knees.

"This is what got hell shaking? Pathetic!" He pushed Grey with a powerful kick back the dungeon. Ten's head slumped down and her body limp like a coat on a hanger. He focused, hearing a very weak heartbeat... She was in dire need of a doctor..

Grey got on his feet and went for the axe. He enveloped it in flames making the Obsidian stones shine brighter. Demon possessed Aaron walked into the dungeon, his eyes widened at the realisation of the weapon Grey held.

Aaron doubled over. A stream of black liquid gushed out of his mouth like a high pressure hose. He fell, hitting the ground with a sudden thud.

The glow in Grey's eyes faded seeing that the threat was done. And the fire around the axe went with it as he broke off the head of the axe and took it with him.

He rushed to Ten and pulled the bar with great effort. He was both glad and terrified she wasn't awake. Terrified that her unconsciousness meant she was dieing and glad she wasn't conscious to fell the earth sized pain what he was about to do would bring.

He tore his hood stuffing it into her mouth to act as a mouth guard.

"Ten.. I don't know if you can hear me.. you've lost too much blood and you aren't healing. I am going to try closing the wound!" His palms covered the both wounds. He warmed his hands a little at a time burning the wound close, the smell of her flesh being eaten by fire took over the musty smell in the air.

She was coming conscious jerking in his arms as his hand grew hotter and there was an eruption of bright flames she jerked harder biting down hard.

Considering it enough he pulled off his hands and she fell with a tired breath and a charred burn in her shoulder.

He carried her fragile body in his arms and walked out of the cell letting only his senses guide him out of the ShadowLake territory..