Chapter 11: Anger and Rage

Aaron stood there looking into the scared eyes of the old man. He felt so much anger towards Veron and John for what they did to Dorothy. But he was also angry at himself.

It had all gone according to Tom's plan. Aaron had eaten the root he was given putting him in a short coma appearing dead. The wizard even did as predicted staying behind, next to his supposedly dead body.

He just couldn't bring himself to do it. The thought of taking someone's life away from them made him sick. After waking up to the sound of Dorothy fighting he just silently hoped she would be able to handle it for him.

Tom was gone doing his part but when Dorothy knocked Emily down he thought it would finally be over. Then it all went south. Aaron could see Veron cast something at Dorothy. He simply watched it happen, her body freeze and the large sharp edge pierce through all because he couldn't bring himself to do his one part.

As her body hit the floor surrounded by blood he felt something inside him burn with rage. His eyes flared and when the lights went out his vision was still clear. Sliding the dagger he was given out of his cloak he grasped it tightly.

The wizards eyes met his and he felt nothing but hatred towards him. Slowly he pushed the sharp blade into Veron's chest enjoying the pain he was causing until the man's eyes became lifeless.

Aaron didn't understand why the old wizard didn't even try and fight back but he didn't care. He had just taken his first life. The lights flickered back on and both Emily and John watched Veron's body hit the ground. Standing above him was Aaron, crimson stained dagger in hand.

Clear tears poured down mixing with the blood that had splattered over him. They couldn't see much as his messy white hair obscured his face but they saw he was lost in an emotional rage.

"Woah! Hargaha I thought you were dead! Serves that old man right. No one ruins my battles!" John let out a laugh finding the situation amusing.

He swung his sword letting the excess blood fly off. Emily however wasn't as uncaring about it.

"Damn it I still needed that wizard! John just kill that brat! I've had enough of this whole thing. We will just find another way." Emily angrily said getting to her feet.

She still held a bloody cloth to her injury but she used her one good eye to search for something by Arron.

"You heard the boss kid. Try and make this at least a bit fun for me ok…harghaha." The large bald man started towards Aaron again just as something grabbed his foot.

"S-stop…Aaro…run…"

The once strong and untouchable woman barely managed to utter these words. Each one between a pained breath as she held onto Johns leg.

It was a miracle Dorothy was still alive and able to move. Her body was almost cut in two and the amount of blood she lost showcased her amazingly strong will to live.

"Ru…"

But before she could even finish her sentence a long curved dagger had ran over her throat. The life faded from her eyes and her hand fell loose from John.

"Ssshhh…that's enough from you." Emily spoke wiping the dagger on Dorothy's hair.

Aaron was speechless. Not only had dorothy survived but she was still trying to protect him.

'Why?! Why!!?? Why did you help me?! If you had just not met me you still would be alive! If I had just killed him when I was supposed to you wouldn't have gotten hurt! If I was just stronger I could have saved you!' Aaron screamed internally.

Seeing Emily kill Dorothy in such a defenseless state pushed him over the edge. The same thing that was burning inside him finally exploded.

All he wanted was to kill them, to make them pay, to make them hurt like he was. His eyes flared even brighter and he looked up at both John and Emily. They instantly froze unable to move. The expressions both of them had on there faces was replaced with fear upon looking into his eyes.

Aaron took a step closer only a few feet away from the two, each step he took the lights around flickered. The ground started to shake again but this time it was different. It felt like the origin was coming from Aaron.

The only thing on Aaron's mind at this point was revenge. The power welling up inside him kept growing and just as he was within arms reach of John something happened. All the strength fueled from his overwhelming emotions turned on him.

For a brief second he was back in the same dark space he saw in the dream, surrounded by chains. Some showed cracks scattered along there length but a majority were still solid and shined brightly. They all tightened around him as he was thrown back to reality.

Aaron was writhing on the ground in pain losing every ounce of strength he had. When he was finally able to open his eyes again he could see John looking at him in horror as if he was a monster.

The overwhelming sense of dread John had felt was gone and he was just looking upon a young boy groaning in pain.

"W-What are you doing John! K-kill him quickly!" Emily yelled scrambling back, she was visibly shaking.

John could still clearly remember the aura he felt that made him feel so small. Aaron was no longer in pain but he hadn't lost an ounce of his anger. Still holding the knife he tried to lunge at the large man but his body was drained and barely moved an inch. He couldn't even sit up straight.

"No, I don't care how much you pay me. I'm not touching that boy." John said grabbing Veron's pouch containing the locket and Dorothy's satchel.

He tossed the bags at Emily.

"Those are what you wanted right? Let's just go woman, I've had enough of this place."

Emily grabbed both bags and picked up one of the blades she had used earlier off the ground.

"Fine I'll d-do it m-myself" she stuttered out.

It was obvious that whatever Aaron had done had affected her greatly. At first she was going to throw the blade but found her shaking hands couldn't aim properly.

Before she could get close to Aarons helpless body on the ground a guttural cry was heard. The sounds of hundreds of thumps sounded from the direction they had come from.

Immediately Aaron recognized it.

'The monsters! Well at least they will die here with me. I'm so sorry Dorothy.' He thought reaching out to grasp her cold hand.

"Shit where did they even come from?" Emily said grabbing an object from her own bag.

"John get your ass over here or I'm leaving you bone head" she held a thumb sized glass ball containing some sort of moving energy.

Obeying her he appeared by her side in the blink of an eye.

"Have fun. I don't know what you are but you and those monsters should get along together." Emily said just as the ball exploded into a smoke cloud.

It covered both of their figures briefly and then dissipated leaving the path empty aside from Aaron and the two corpses.

"Get…back…here." he tried to yell at them but only succeeded at whispering to shadows.

His voice was raspy and barely even audible.

'What was that magic? How can they just disappear!? They can't just escape after what they did! It's not fair!' Aaron screamed internally.

Dorothy's eyes were still open with her hand outstretched as if she was still trying to save him. Her blood covered the floor and Aaron realized he was laying in it. He just wanted to get closer to her. To at least close her eyes but his body only grew weaker.

The bodies of many creatures more than he could count surrounded him. Their monstrous and disfigured forms lumbered around sniffing at the bodies. All Aaron could hear was a ringing in his ears.

'This is it…I'll die here with Dorothy. I wonder whatever happened to Tom. I hope he made…it out of…here…alive.' Aaron thought before he completely lost consciousness again this time not in the safety of Dorothy's arms.

Several of the creatures surrounded him sniffing at his body. Drool landed on his nose from the largest creature that stood above him. It looked semi humanoid but the strangest thing about it was it's head. It could see the slow rise and fall of Aaron's chest as it ran a boney finger across his neck.