Hallowed Kaline (1) (MANUSCRIPT)

Issue # 9 Adventurous Wonders Pt. 2

                  "Enough of this!" Maximus slashed his cobalt katana down the heads of more renegade faeries, black ash spewing everywhere as the misty and winged babies cried.
              "Master isn't going to be happy! Master is going to come for you and you're gonna... die." The babies howled in unison, their painful screams creating a sing-song. "We're warning you! He's gonna get you. He's gonna get you. He's gonna get you."
            "Man, this is fuckin' creepy, yo!" Tony winced as Kyle killed some more fey with his watch.
           There's only three left on our side. How are Max and Natalie faring? Kyle turned to see Natalie shooting at some faeries while Max slowly slashed at them. Why is he slowing down?
        "Max, are you feeling alright?" Natalie raised an eyebrow.
        "Y- Yeah. I'm fine. Trust-" Suddenly, Max's heart began to bang in chest as blood gushed down his right ear.
         "Max?" Natalie lunged back. Why did he sound weird just now?
         "I'm fine!" Max smiled her way, closing his eyes for a second.
         "The boy is most definitely exhausted. Why would Headmaster send a group of four to fight a swarm of fey right after dinner? It will soon be time for bed. For all of us at that." Thaddeus shook his head, looking down at his sword.
           "It is already past their bedtime, unfortunately." Ithaca nodded.
           "I'm not getting t- tired, damn it!" Max had begun to pick up his katana with two hands just then, spit falling from his bottom lip. "I can do this! I'm going to kill all the fey!"
           "Such hate from this boy." The winged babies cried. "Master is going to like consuming... you."
            "Shut up! Tell your master he can 'consume' this!" With a bout of haste from the last of his strength, Max drove his katana through the rest of the renegade faeries.
         "Whoa. H- He really did it." Kyle fell back onto his bottom, and watched Max heave and wheeze.
       "Max!" Natalie walked over to the exhausted hunter.
         "I'm fine. Just f- fine. I'd like to go to bed though." Max fell down into lying on the ground.
          "Hmph. Sleepin' like a baby." Kyle smirked, brushing his fist over his mouth. "Though not like the babies he just killed." 
          Ithaca shook his head, shoving his hand into his right pocket. "I can tell he's a new kid. Not just because I haven't seen him around before, unlike I have the rest of you, but because he toys with his own stamina like that. A true seasoned veteran would know how to divide their energy and resolve up during battle. This kid, Maximus Kaline, just wasted it all right now. How dramatic." 
         "But the battle is over." Natalie bent down over Max. "He saved us. Saved everyone! We should bring him back to school as soon as possible. Get him in a good bed, or something like that."
        "Hm. Fine, fine. But first, I have a gift for him." Thaddeus yawned, then pulled out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Max.
        Natalie's eyes widened. "What do you think you're-"
        "Calm down. I'm going to set it beside him just like this." Thaddeus placed a tiny pistol next to Max's head. "See? All better. It was a gift to me from Father Agnus many years ago. It's a 'matter-acidifying' gun. Immediately eats away whatever it shoots at. It may come in handy for him now."
          Suddenly, Max's eyes opened.
          "Max?" Natalie looked her friend over.
           Max spoke in a whisper as his legs shook. "I feel something. Something bad." 
         "What?"
         "I... don't know. You don't feel that?"
          "Feel what, Max?"
          "It's like something is going to... erupt. From underneath that Ferris Wheel." Max slowly raised his right arm, his left eye suddenly yellow and reptile-like.
            What has gotten into him? Thaddeus stared down at Maximus. He's claiming to sense something from the Ferris Wheel?
           I think Max might be right. If he's not, it'd still be good to keep our eyes on that 'wheel'. Ithaca gazed over at Thaddeus. Hopefully he's not sensing a faerie. If he is, then that isn't good news.
          "Come on, Max. Let's get you home." Natalie had wrung her arms underneath Maximus in order to scoop him up into a carry, but suddenly the entire earth under the carnival's proximity  started to shake.
        "What's going on?" Kyle clenched a fist.
         From over yonder, the giant Ferris Wheel began to crumble as a magnificent and gigantic black beast stood atop it.
         "I see that my babies have been killed." A demonic and low growl came from the black figure, sharp talons protruding out of its skin with each word it spoke.
        "N- No way." Tony backed away from Kyle. "I- Is that him? Malechor? Aw, shit. We gonna mothafuckin' die."
        "Ah, here's where we come in." Thaddeus quickly placed his other hand on his bone-sword.
        The black figure on the Ferris Wheel began to walk on it like a dragon of sorts. "I thought I was warning you well through my babies. But you did not heed the warning, and now shall you all perish."
          Suddenly, Max started convulsing. Screaming and losing control of his spit, his mouth bubbled over with saliva. His right eye slowly changed from dark green to yellow, the iris currently half of both colors. After a series of screaming and veins protruding from his throat, a series of roaring laughter began to pour out from Max.
         His hair started to gather thickly in the back, the burgundy strands began to act as though they were being moved on their own. Sitting up, Max began to cackle some more. Screams and laughter were the only vocalizations that managed to wind themselves out of the boy's body with a chilling reverb.
         "Max!" Natalie cried.
         "M- Malechor! S- Stop doin' that to Max!" Tony shook his fist in the air.
        The talon-covered dragon blew smoke out of his nose. "I did nothing to the boy."
        "W- What?" Tony looked back at Max, whose eyes now reflected a gold and skin now started to darken from pale white to a tan.
        "The fuck is happening to him?" Kyle's lips trembled.
         Ithaca yawned, his blue and white robe fluttering in the wind. "Hm. We'll have to worry about that after we handle Malechor. You three get him out of here, yourselves included as well. The task of my brother and I begins now." His nasally and Posh accent vibrated. 
          Kyle nodded. "Right. Will do."
         "Oh? Two mere humans coming to fight me? I am delighted." Malechor breathed.
        "We're delighted as well, honestly." Ithaca licked his lips.
        "Too bad I won't be accepting your offer. You must chase me, instead. I am going somewhere far, but not too far." Malechor jumped off the Ferris Wheel and, with his massive and numerous talons, propelled himself into the air as his black claws dug into the night sky.
         "No you don't!" Thaddeus jumped, trying to poke Malechor in the foot with his bone-sword but ultimately missing.
          "Nonsense. You 'expert' hunters should rest up, why don't you? Meet me at the house of Brynwell Court. Address 11171."
           "Max, are you alright?" Natalie looked over her friend as Kyle ran with him in his arms.
          "N- Natalie." Max's hair was beginning to fall down now, his eyes returning to their normal green hue. "Malechor... just said my grandparents' address. We h- have to go th- there as soon as... possible." Maximus coughed and spoke weakly, black bags forming under his eyes.
         "We are going to get you home. It's bed time. School hours are over." Kyle looked down at the weak boy in his arms.
         "Kyle." Max wheezed.
        "Uhuh?"
        "11171 Brynwell Court... is my address, you idiot! I've lived with my grandparents for about as long as I can remember." A vein bulged from the corner of Max's forehead. 
        "Oh. I see. Well, it sounds like someone is all better, then."
         Why would Malechor wanna go to Max's house? Natalie ran with Kyle and Tony by her side. Unless... it has something to do with what happened to Max back there. I just don't know what to do. What would my dad do in this situation?
         "We can't take him back to his house if Malechor is there right now." Kyle clenched his teeth. "Shit. Then what do we do?" Looking down at his shoes, the hunter curled his lips in. What would Dr. Carwell do in a situation like this? Why am I even thinking about him, anyway?
           "I guess we go back to the academy and leave in the morning." Tony shrugged. "I don't know."
           "That actually isn't half bad, Tony." Kyle smiled and nodded while he ran away from the carnival, the flashy lights no longer on any of them.
          Tony nodded in return. "Damn. For once I'm helpful."
         Kyle's smile soon faded, however. "And in the morning, we're going to help Max fight Malechor." 

________