screams of the tortured souls reached his ears, and he thought his head was going to explode.

“There’s so many!” He thought.

Steele smelled something burning, and looked down to find that it was him!”

His paws were starting to melt into the floor.

It HURT!

He began hopping up and down, trying to keep his paws from touching the ground.

The eyes laughed.

“They do that for the first hour or so, then they realize that this place’s purpose is pain, eternal suffering. The punishment they must all endure for the freedoms and “good lives” that they led on the earth.”

Steele started to scream, as he found he could no longer hop up and down.

“This is my realm…..” The eyes said.

Abruptly, Steele found himself back in his own cave.

He looked down at the floor.

Cool rocks.

He looked around, and saw no orange glow, heard no pain filled screaming.

Everything was normal again.

Well, as normal as things can be when you’re talking to a demon that just sent you to hell.

“… and this,” the eyes continued, “is yours.”

“I like mine better,” Steele said.

The eyes laughed again.

“Better get used to it Steele; you and I are going to be good friends down there someday.”

Steele shivered.

“So, what is it that you want?” Steele asked.

“I want Aleu’s head.” Shade said, “separated from her body of course.”

The voice laughed again.

“Aleu? Balto’s daughter?” Steele asked. “Why her?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Shade said, “but let’s just say that she and I have met before, and didn’t get along.”

Steele grinned.

“I think I can do that. I didn’t get along with her too well myself”

“Good,” the voice said, “I knew you would. Now as to my help, just think of that place, my realm, when you wish to do something, and I will do it for you.”

The voice laughed again.

“I too long to see the deaths of those two dogs Steele,” said the eyes, “I long to see the death of everyone.”

Steele smiled again.

“I like the way you think Shade.”

The eyes disappeared.

Steele looked around, but the smell was gone, and there was no sign of those spooky eyes.

“Wonder if that was real.” Steele thought.

He looked down at his paws.

The hairs were singed.

A chill ran down Steele’s back.

“It was real, HE was real…”

Steele walked out of the cave and looked up, up to the summit of the hill the cave was dug into, it was at least fifty feet straight up.

Steele had no trouble at all remembering… wherever that…. thing had sent him.

He wouldn’t be able to forget about that place for a long time.

Steele jumped straight up.

He landed on the top of the hill!

Steele looked around and grinned.

It was an evil grin.

“I hear revenge calling my name,” he said quietly.

“You two, and your new precious little pups will beg for me to kill you by the time I’m through with you… and maybe I will…”

As he said this, a pink glare came over his vision, and if anyone had seen him, they would’ve seen a dog with pink eyes, but then it was gone.

Steele jumped off of the hill, landing on the snow below.

He took off, headed towards Nome.

Steele found he could run very, very fast.

Chapter 4

Balto and Jenna were just approaching the entrance to Aleu’s cave.

“Is this my sister that you’re always talking about?” Likea asked.

Balto smiled at his son.

“Yes it is,” he said.

“Then we’re finally gonna get to meet her!” Sheae exclaimed. “Finally I can have a sister, brothers are such dorks.”

“Hey!” Likea yelled.

Then he barreled into her and the two began to wrestle, rolling through the snow,

Balto and Jenna took this opportunity to sneak away from them a little, so they wouldn’t scare them.

“So you really saw him?” Jenna asked.

Balto had told her of the unnerving meeting he’d had.

Balto nodded solemnly.

Jenna sighed.

“What else can happen to us?”

“I wouldn’t ask that,” Balto said, “there’s plenty that could go wrong, now come on let’s get the kids and go see Aleu.”

Jenna nodded and turned.

“Sheae, Likea, come on, we’re going inside!”

The two pups ran up to their parents.

Balto walked over to where a wolf sat, guarding the main entrance to the cave.

“Hello, Balto, right?” The wolf said.

Balto nodded.

“Yeah, I need to speak to my daughter, is she here?”

“Which one?” The wolf asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I need to speak with Aleu.”

The wolf sighed.

“She’s here, up in her chambers, hasn’t come down since the attack.”

“There was an attack?” Balto asked.

The wolf nodded, and started to say more, then stopped.

“Well, I’ll let her tell you.”

Balto looked at him strangely for a moment, trying to figure out what the wolf was hiding from him, then he turned to his family.

“Come on guys,” he said.

The family walked inside.

Balto’s first stop was by Dash and Shasta’s, he knew that what ever Aleu was going to tell him, it wasn’t going to be good, so he didn’t want the kids there.

Shasta seemed a little upset, like she’d been crying.

“Oh, Balto!” She said running over to him. “Hi!”

Balto smiled.

“How are you doing Shasta?”

“I’m alright,” she answered.

“Are you okay?” Jenna asked.

Shasta nodded.

“Well look,” Balto said, “we were told that Aleu has some news for us, and I could tell by the sentry’s reaction, that it’s not going to be good, so I was wondering if you’d keep the kids for me until we get back from Aleu’s.”

Shasta smiled.

“Oh sure, my pups will love having someone to play with.”

Balto looked over at Jenna.

“Jen, you ready?”

Jenna nodded.

Balto and Jenna walked out of the room.

“Where’s mom and dad going?” Sheae asked.

“They need to go see Aleu alone for now, but you can play with my kids, come here, and I’ll introduce you.”

Shasta led the kids into the next room.

Balto and Jenna walked into Aleu’s chambers.

She wasn’t in there.

They looked around, but she wasn’t there, no one was.

They were about to give up when Balto noticed a small hole in the wall.

He had to crawl to get through it.

It led to a small ledge outside, and on that ledge sat Aleu.

“Hey Aleu!” Balto said.

Aleu turned.

“Mom, Dad!” She said smiling. “What are you doing here?”

Then her smile faded, and she walked slowly toward them.

“Well, I had a message to give you, something I think you’re really going to want to know, but then I heard there was an attack… and that there’s something you need to tell me?”

Aleu nodded.

“Shadow and I were outside checking on the sentries when the humans attacked.”

She sighed.

“We still don’t have an exact count, but it’s somewhere around nine dead.”

“Oh no,” Jenna said.

“One…. One of those nine was… was Jadze.

Balto sighed.

“Melody’s?” Jenna asked.

Aleu nodded.

“Oh no,” she repeated. “Balto, I’m gonna go talk to her.”

Balto nodded, and Jenna turned and ran off.

Balto sighed again.

There was silence for a long while.

“So,” Aleu said, “what did you need to tell me, something about a message?”

Balto nodded.

“Something like that. I saw someone last night, and he told me to tell you that he’s back and that you and your family are going to die.”

Aleu gasped.

“Well… well who was it!”

“Aleu,” Balto said, “it… it was Shade.”

“What?” Aleu asked, “That’s impossible, I… I killed him, a long time ago.”

“Well I don’t know about that, but I know that I saw a wolf that used to be black, before it was burned, he had red eyes. stank, and was infested with maggots.

“Echh,” Aleu said, “sounds like him alright, but how?”

“I don’t know Aleu,” Balto said.

“Well thanks for telling me, I’ll be on guard now.”

“So other than the attack how has everything been here?”

Balto talked to Aleu for almost two hours, trying to delay the visit he knew he had to make next, as long as possible.

Balto finally couldn’t talk to Aleu any longer and had to make that long walk down to his daughter, Melody’s chambers.

Jenna was standing outside.

Balto stopped beside her.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

The two locked gazes for a moment, then Jenna looked down at the floor.

Balto sighed and walked into the chamber.

“Melody?” He asked.

Balto walked slowly across the room and ducked into the next one.

Melody lay against the wall.

“Melody?” Balto said.

She didn’t move.

Balto walked over to her.

“Melody?”

She lifted her head, looked up at Balto, sighed and laid her head back down on the rock.

Balto laid down beside her.

“What do I say?” Balto said, “what can I say?”

It was silent for a long while.

“Melody…”

She looked up at him, and the grief on her face took away all of his words.

Balto fell silent again.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Balto