Chapter 5: Destroyer 
 

Balto and Jenna headed into town early the next morning, making their way stealthily to Rosy’s house, so they could eat breakfast. As one ate, the other watched for anyone approaching. Balto wasn’t as lucky this time as he had been the first, or as he had been each subsequent day as he came to the house for food. This time, Jenna heard Rosy and her parents enter the house. “Balto, hide!” she whispered. “I’ll distract them!” Balto hid in a cupboard as Jenna ran to the front door. Balto could hear what was happening. “Jenna!” Rosy shouted with joy. “Where’ve you been?” Jenna barked happily, and Rosy spoke again. “Where’s Balto? Dad, I’m worried about him.” “It’s alright, Rosy. I’m sure if Jenna’s here, he’s not far away.” Balto heard several footsteps come into the kitchen. “Look, Rosy,” said Rosy’s mother, “his bowl is empty. I guess we just missed him.” “You’re right. I hope he’ll be back soon. It’s been days since I last saw him.” Rosy and her family went upstairs, and Balto came out of the cupboard. “I wish I could say hi to Rosy,” he said with regret, “but…if anyone sees me like this, it’ll cause nothing but trouble, even after this whole thing is over.” He sighed, and Jenna walked up and nuzzled him. “You know, I didn’t thank you yet. For saving me, and for taking those tools in the first place? So, thank you. Thank you so much, Balto. I love you.” They kissed each other, and Balto smiled. “You sure know how to make me feel better, Jenna.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I do what I can for the man I love.” Balto licked her muzzle, and she kissed him. “Now then,” Balto said, “there’s something I have to do.” “What’s that?” They headed for the door, and Balto spoke. “Check on the others.” Jenna was shocked. “The others? So it isn’t just me? I guess that makes sense.” “Sorrow’s been using them to draw me into one-on-one fights with his advance forms. There were three before this last one.” They went to the boiler room, and everyone that had been attacked was still there. All of them were happy to see Balto still alive, and that he had rescued Jenna. Balto was surprised to see Morse and Doc there. “You haven’t been attacked, have you?” he asked. “No,” said Doc. “Steele came and warned us.” “Can you tell us all something about what’s going on?” asked Morse. “We’re a bit in the dark here.” Balto now gave them all a description of everything that had happened up until he saved Jenna, and it seemed to make them less frightened to know what was happening. “So you have plenty of food and water?” Balto asked when he was finished. “Yes,” said Doc. “We’ll just stay right here until you take care of everything.” “Don’t worry, everyone,” Balto said. “I’m sure you’ll be alright. Just lay low.”

Balto and Jenna left the boiler room, and Balto decided it would be a good idea to check the previous days’ battle scene for anything helpful, considering that Sorrow had actually been there. They went to the spot, and Balto used his virus vision, trying to see if there were any unseen hints. He saw nothing…except a glaring streak of red, leading across part of the ground. He examined it more closely, seeing that it was an ultra-high concentration of inert common cold viruses, posing no danger. He ignited it with the virus cleansing and watched it burn along the ground. Suddenly, when it approached a wall, the streak ended in a circle, which burned much more brightly. Balto switched back to his normal vision as the flame disappeared, and noticed that there was an envelope partially buried in the snow, the intent of which must have been for protection from accidental discovery. Balto picked up the envelope, opened it, and held the letter up so Jenna could read it as well.

Mister Balto,

I don’t know where you snuck off to, but go to the warehouse in the mornings for future clues. As for now, you have succeeded often enough that I have decided to raise the bar. Follow the map on the back of this letter to reach a location where you shall confront your next enemy. I know you may be thinking of ignoring this challenge and simply hiding, but if you do, I swear to you, I will turn this monster loose on the town, and nothing will survive. Mark my words.

Regards,

Sorrow

“Well…” Balto said. “It sounds like he decided to up the ante. No other clue was this serious.” “You must’ve rattled his cage.” “When someone messes with you, I don’t rattle their cage; I tear it apart.” “I tried to tell Sorrow what he was getting himself into, but he wouldn’t listen.” “I can’t make the mistake of underestimating him, though, or judging by this…it could get very costly.” “Still, it means you’re getting somewhere. It means you’re pushing back hard enough to hurt him. I’ll bet he’s feeling it, Balto. That’s why he’s going to make it tougher on you.” “Then if he wants a hard fight, I’ll give him one.”

The map led Balto and Jenna to a cave some distance from Nome. The cave penetrated deep into the bedrock of a low mountain, but its full length could not be seen, as there was a bend before long. The map didn’t actually lead them very far in; it merely took them into an enormous cavern in the left wall. Balto had brought Jenna along because he was too worried by the prospect of leaving her alone, and she kept close to him as they entered the cavern. It was actually quite bright inside; there were holes in the ceiling, much of which was made of ice anyway, so there wasn’t much to block out the light. Large ice stalagmites sat on the floor, and many, many ice stalactites hung from the ceiling. The walls were rock, and a few rock pillars reached up from the floor to the ceiling. In approximately the center of the room, Sorrow was standing on a rock, and two groups of advance forms were lined up facing each other. Balto and Jenna walked up to one end of these lines and stopped, and two advance forms got between them and the exit, though they kept their distance from the pair. “Hello again, Balto,” Sorrow said. “And hello again, Jenna. Excellent trick to get her back, wolf-dog. But let us not have any pleasantries. It’s my great pleasure to introduce you both to a friend of mine.” He gestured towards the end of the advance forms’ lines opposite from Balto and Jenna, and the advance forms moved back hastily as the newest foe came into view, walking between the two lines toward the pair. The beast had a somewhat elongated, mat-black body, with a dark purple tint in many places. It had six legs, with three clawed toes evenly diverged around each foot. It had a tail, a rather short and flat one. On its back were four long, skinny, rough tentacles, each having a thick, four-inch long stabbing weapon on the end that tapered down from the base to the tip. It had two heads, each on a slightly stretched neck, and its two pairs of eyes glowed a pale blue-white. There were two rows of three curved teeth in each mouth. It was highly muscular on the whole, and appeared totally calm, lacking any of the tension normally present in the other beasts he had encountered. It walked toward them surrounded by a violet cloud of airborne bacteria, coming from its mouth and even out of its skin, leaving a trail of it as it went, the end of which was constantly burning away. Balto could see with his virus vision that the creature was absolutely full of whatever pathogen it embodied. “This is a great honor for you, Balto and Jenna,” said Sorrow. “Before you stands the most infamous disease in history. Meet Abaddon. Yersinia Pestis. The Black Death.”

The dogs immediately shrank back in fear, but Abaddon didn’t do anything. He simply…nodded, sucking the bacteria into his body and burning the rest of the trail, eliminating the danger of any infection. “So, this is the famous Balto. It’s a pleasure.” “Ah…the same,” said Balto. “I knew Sorrow had dangerous players here, but I never would have expected to see the bubonic plague.” Sorrow spoke up. “Abaddon mutated from one of the original plague bacteria from Europe. He is the only Black Death advance form that has ever existed.” Abaddon nodded. “No non-virus entity has ever seen me and lived. You may be the first.” “Well, Ebola didn’t kill a third of Europe in the Middle Ages.” “We have had our time. We no longer wreak havoc or spread fear, at least not the way we used to. Humans have found ways to fight my brethren, but Ebola clings still, even in the future, and no one knows how to defeat it. Besides, Sorrow is powerful enough to command me, and you’ve made him out to be a complete idiot. How is that, anyway? How do you succeed, over and over?” “I suppose it’s because I know what I’m fighting for.” “I knew it would be love. It is a great asset for you now. Anyway, I think we should discuss our business here.” The two were circling slowly. “Now, I am only telling you this because I sincerely believe it. You must know that even if you defeat me today, eventually Sorrow will kill you, or your Jenna. I am offering to kill you both together right now. Do consider it; you no longer postpone death, it will be painless, and you will pass on together.” “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that. My first priority is Jenna’s safety, then mine if at all possible. If there’s any chance of her survival, I need to take the path that allows it.” “Very well. It’s a shame.” “What is?” “That one of us must kill the other. You seem a noble soul.” “I wish I didn’t have to fight, either, but I have a responsibility.” “Yes. Oh, well. The battle awaits. Skill against skill; brute strength requires too much luck.” Abaddon and Balto raised their tools, moving slowly back and forth…before erupting into furious combat. Abaddon started only using two of his four weapons, but Balto found even those extremely difficult to deal with; the advance form was as quick as he was skilled. Abaddon exploited a hole in Balto’s desperate defense to whip him in the face. He wasn’t using the point of the spikes, just the blunt side, but it bit nastily all the same. Abaddon kept swinging, scoring hit after rapid hit on Balto’s exposed head. Finally, he swung up, hitting Balto in the jaw so hard it knocked him into the air, after which he landed hard on the ice a few feet away. Balto prepared to defend himself, but Abaddon was fighting with sportsmanship; he backed up out of attack range and gestured for Balto to stand up. Balto got to his feet, licking blood from a cut lip off his mouth.

Sorrow smirked and looked at Jenna. “Abaddon is far too powerful. Balto is doomed. You may as well not even watch, considering what will happen when he dies.” Jenna looked back up at the pair, who had begun the attack again. “Balto…” she whispered, fear in her face.

Balto flung his virus arms back and forth, knocking aside each rapid thrust by the spikes, beginning to get the balance. He began to swing right after blocking one attack, and as Abaddon lashed out with two tentacles, Balto’s incoming swing knocked aside first one, then the other. Abaddon tried to bring the tentacles around again, but it was too late. Balto wound back and hammered a mighty blow into Abaddon’s chest, sending the advance form somersaulting backwards and crashing into a rock, dust and chunks of stone breaking off from the impact as he fell to the ground. He stood up slowly, needing all six legs to get up after the impact. Shaking his head to clear his senses, he walked calmly toward Balto, then broke into a violent flurry of blows, now using all four tentacles, driving him back. Balto used both his own eyes and those of his virus arms to spot incoming attacks and block them, moving with incredible speed, fighting Abaddon’s advance to a standstill and beginning to swing back. They were trapped in a combative stalemate for a moment before Abaddon simply shoved forward with all four tentacles, rather than swinging. Balto easily blocked them, but nonetheless, the desired effect was achieved; Balto was pushed back, sliding a short distance on the ice. This time, Abaddon didn’t approach him again, but rather stayed back and put two of his tentacles together above his body. A round, rough-edged violet orb formed at their tip, and Balto realized that it was a cloud of plague bacteria. Abaddon launched the orb, and Balto dove to the side, escaping the attack and rolling back to his feet. Abaddon shot out another orb, and another, and another. Balto took off, running like lightning, charging up and jumping off the walls and stalagmites, trusting more to instinct than his senses. Finally, as he came down to his original position, he saw one projectile coming right for his face. He yelled and threw the virus arms in front of him, forming a wall of Ebola in between himself and the missile, and the two collided, exploding violently as the two swarms of pathogens annihilated each other almost instantly. Balto was forced to take a couple of steps back, the force of the explosion and the strain from forming the barrier taking a toll on him. He stared at Abaddon, refusing to sit down or avert his gaze.

The advance form walked back and forth in front of him, speaking with a voice that for some reason contained no anger or frustration. “I am impressed. You are worth your salt, as they say.” He burned away some plague bacteria that were leaking from his spikes into the air. “I had hoped you wouldn’t crack easily. But the question is, how long can you go?” Balto stood tall. “Longer than this,” he said. “Let’s get going, eh?” Abaddon nodded. “I will no longer weaponize my pathogens if you will act in kind. Deal?” Balto nodded. “Deal.” They went at each other again, now using more calculated attacks instead of raw, furious speed. Abaddon struck Balto’s head, but got an uppercut in one jaw for it, subsequently moving back and trying to defend. Balto scored a hard blow and went to attack again, but Abaddon recovered too quickly and tried to counter. Balto grabbed Abaddon’s tentacles with his virus arms, and they struggled for a moment. Balto yanked on the tentacles, causing both of them to tumble backwards. They landed painfully on the ice, and Abaddon rolled off of Balto and stood, taking a few steps away. Getting up and turning around, Balto saw the beast standing over Jenna, the spikes pointed right down at her. “I love you,” she whispered. “NO!” Balto cried. “Abaddon, don’t! Please!” Abaddon looked at Balto, then back at Jenna. Small amounts of plague bacteria sputtered from the spikes, creating purple smoke. Balto could see there was no hope. “I love you, too,” he whispered to Jenna. They kept their eyes locked together, just waiting… Then, Abaddon merely turned away from her and faced him. “I don’t want to kill her,” he said. “Why would I?” Balto almost began sobbing with gratitude, and Sorrow growled angrily. “What are you…” Abaddon pointed two of his spikes toward the advance form, shutting him up quickly. He and Balto kept fighting, but Balto was hesitant to strike, considering the mercy Abaddon had just showed. He got struck across the face for it, sprawling backwards. “I know you are grateful,” said Abaddon, “but I will beat you if you let me. Fight, or else.” Balto nodded and pressed the attack. They both kept swinging faster and harder, gaining a little ground only to lose it immediately. Balto jumped up and out of the way of a vicious upward-aimed strike, and after coming down, he lashed out with mantis speed at one of Abaddon’s necks, smashing it painfully and causing the head to emit a choked shout. Balto grabbed the other neck with one virus arm and punched the head as hard as he could, weakening the advance form noticeably. Abaddon backed away gradually, now on the defensive. As they climbed an ice arch, Abaddon missed a low block, and Balto was able to trip him. He grabbed the fallen advance form and charged at the wall, running straight up a high pillar of stone. When they were nearly at the top, Balto pushed off, holding Abaddon beneath him as they barreled toward the ground. They struck like a cannonball, splintering and cracking the ice from the impact, sending a circular wave of white shrapnel flying. Balto shoved Abaddon to the floor and raised a virus arm, preparing to strike again…but the advance form held up a foot. “I yield,” he said, his faces twisted with pain. “WHAT?” Sorrow roared. “You cannot yield! I forbid it! Don’t even think about betraying me.” Abaddon rotated one of his heads to look at Sorrow. “That would be impossible…because I was never with you in the first place.”

Sorrow stood frozen with rage and shock, and Abaddon looked up at Balto. “Trust me,” he said. Balto only had a second to think; Sorrow was now charging them. He moved off of Abaddon and flung a large, broken ice stalactite into Sorrow’s face, and it shattered, knocking him flat. Balto heard a stabbing noise right behind him, and he whirled around, fearing that Abaddon had lied and killed Jenna. He saw her, standing there, unharmed, her back facing him, and he looked beyond her. Abaddon raised the two screaming advance forms, each impaled on two of his spikes, into the air. Their bodies became swollen and blackened, turned to the consistency of plaster, and exploded with a brilliant blue flash. “Run!” Abaddon said, urgently. Balto saw that Sorrow was getting up, and more advance forms were coming into the cavern from another entrance. He picked Jenna up with his virus arms and sprinted out through the way he and Jenna had entered, intending to go out the main entrance to the cavern. However, his plan was quickly foiled; an advance form behind them hurled a stone at an ice formation on the side of the cave mouth, bringing down the ice and snow above, creating an impenetrable barrier. He changed direction, turning left and sprinting further into the cave, going around the corner and accelerating to a speed much higher than normal running. “Do you know where this goes?” Jenna asked nervously. Balto used his virus powers to heighten his perception of the air quality, and discovered that there was non-stagnant air a good distance away down the cavern, obviously coming from an exit. “I know where to go to get out,” he replied.

The area around the pair turned to a veritable sea of ice crystals, all in the shape of spikes a little less than a foot long. It was beautiful, but it limited the space for running to a flat ice floor that cut an avenue through the middle of the crystals. An advance form sprinted up beside them and swung its claws, barely missing Balto’s shoulder. He snatched a crystal from the floor and stabbed it into the advance form’s leg, and it screamed as it tripped over a bump and flew into the air, silenced when it came down on the sea of spikes, sending up a shower of blood. Another advance form ran full tilt down a ledge on the right wall behind them, gaining distance until it finally decided to make a move. It leapt from the ledge, landing hard enough to break some of the ice. This turned out to be advantageous for Balto and Jenna as the cracked chunks protruding from the floor tripped up almost all of their pursuers. The now-nearby advance form began tried to grab Jenna, getting a grip on her. She bit its hand, and Balto punched it in the stomach. He was now forced to hold Jenna with only one virus arm, using the other to keep the advance form at a relatively safe distance. He nearly lost his balance and dropped Jenna after blocking a blow, but managed to keep his feet. Taking up another crystal, he prepared to use it for a leg stab as before, but the advance form moved out of his reach. Balto looked ahead and saw an ice bridge coming up, and decided to change his attack plan. Now, he simply threw it at the advance form’s legs with great force. The impact made the beast slip, and it fell off the bridge, breaking its neck on an ice pillar. Balto pulled Jenna close to him as he ducked, jumped, and dodged his way through a tricky series of holes in a convoluted ice formation. He jumped high, making it through a small hole in an otherwise solid wall of ice, and landed hard. After a few more yards, the path suddenly dropped into a chute-like twisting course that took them downward. Balto ceased trying to run, because it made him slip on the sloping ice. Now, he just kept his feet still and slid, as if he were on skis. They picked up blistering speed by the time they reached the end, which quickly brought them into another bad situation; there was a deep crevasse ahead of them, which was also quite wide. “Go for it!” Jenna shouted. Balto empowered himself with a yell and propelled himself off the ground, flying through the air, still yelling, Jenna clinging to him tightly. They hit the ground, Balto’s paws cracking the ice, and he ran on, getting back up to speed. Coming around another corner, they ended up on a long straight, now devoid of ice crystals on the floor. Balto saw two advance forms up ahead, one on either side of them, who were gradually moving toward each other. With a sudden rush of dread, Balto realized that the advance forms were timing their slowdown so that by the time he and Jenna reached them, they would be lined up to attack on both sides, and he knew he couldn’t attack with both virus arms while holding Jenna. He struggled to think of a plan, and he didn’t relish the one that came into his head. The advance forms were almost beside them now. He looked up at Jenna. “Trust me,” he said. Jenna, having noticed their predicament also, nodded. “Okay,” she said, closing her eyes, her heart fluttering with fear. Just before the advance forms attacked, Balto tossed Jenna high into the air above him. He swung both virus arms, catching the arm of each advance form. He twisted sharply, and they were both flung off balance, falling to the ice. Balto looked up, lowered his speed a little, and caught Jenna as she came back down. After several moments, she opened her tightly closed eyes. “Wow!” she gasped, and Balto could see that she had actually enjoyed it. “Piece of cake,” he said.

They rounded a bend and saw a gaping cave mouth at the end of a long grotto. At long last, their exit was in sight. The ceiling of the grotto was covered with fat ice stalactites, but the floor was fairly clear. “Déjà vu,” Balto said, sprinting faster. Suddenly, he noticed several advance forms perched up on the walls, holding large rocks. Balto was expecting them to throw them at he and Jenna, but instead, they began flinging them at the ceiling ahead. Each rock dislodged one or two stalactites, which became lethal falling missiles. “Now this déjà vu I didn’t want!” Balto cried, dodging frantically, keeping Jenna’s body centered over his to ensure that if something wouldn’t hit him, it would have no chance of hitting her. Quickly, the task of spotting and dodging the stalactites became overwhelming. Balto thought for a moment before getting an idea. He tilted the heads of the virus arms upward. Now, whatever they saw would be transmitted into his brain. This made it easier to dodge, and thankfully so, because the amount of plunging stalactites was increasing rapidly. Balto rolled out of the way of a huge chunk of falling ice, only to have to roll again to avoid a following one. He jumped back and forth, stalactites crashing down on his left and right, desperately keeping Jenna and himself out of harm’s way. However, he didn’t know how much longer that would be possible…until shrieks sounded from the wall. He looked in that direction and saw the advance form’s blackened bodies drop from their perches and crumble like ash as they struck the floor. Abaddon, who had been running along the wall on a ledge the whole way, had slain them with contagion, infecting them with the black plague from a distance. Balto now sprinted faster yet, wanting more than anything to be out of the cavern. At the very end, before Abaddon could stop it, an advance form suddenly threw an icicle across the top of the exit, knocking loose almost every stalactite. Balto yelled and jumped forward, getting out of the way of the now-collapsing ceiling. Abaddon decapitated the advance form and jumped through the torrent of falling rubble, which created an impenetrable ridge of ice behind them.

Balto was grateful for the chance to stop, and he put Jenna down. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Yeah, I’m alright,” she replied. They hugged each other, and when they finished, Balto turned to Abaddon. “Thank you.” Abaddon nodded. “Um…why did you help us?” “My loyalty is with Equinox. I did not realize when I first went that Sorrow was opposing him. When I found out, I couldn’t very well go against him, so I am now on your side. How may I help?” “Our friends need protection. I’m sure you know who?” “Yes.” “I’ll come and introduce you to them in the boiler room tonight. I want you to keep them safe.” “Very well. It will probably be clear of our foes for now.” When evening came, Balto took Abaddon to the boiler room, introducing everyone personally and making sure they knew he was a friend. After this was done, he went outside with Abaddon to speak with him alone. “Jenna told me where the hideout Sorrow’s using now is. Do you know if he has any others?” “Yes. There is a third, an emergency backup location. I don’t know where it is; I’m not sure if he told anyone else.” “His other minions know it’s out there; Jenna told me he mentioned a ‘staging hideout’.” “That’s it. He uses it for that purpose now.” “Knowing that might come in handy eventually.” “So I am to stay here. What is your current plan?” “I guess I’ll just keep playing Sorrow’s game. Eventually, something’s going to have to change; he won’t be able to keep this up forever.” “Agreed. So for now, you are returning to your new hiding place?” “Yes,” he said, drawing a map in the snow to reveal the location to Abaddon. “We’re just going to stay there as long as we can. I don’t know how Sorrow could possibly find us there.” “Nor I. I believe you will be safe. Until we meet again.”

It was pitch black inside the hunting shack later that night. Balto and Jenna slept soundly, snuggling up to each other. One of the virus arms opened its eyes and uttered a very low growl. Balto awakened, his senses sharpening with the realization of why the arm had alerted him; there had been a very tiny noise in the next room. Balto didn’t move, and he didn’t move the arms, pretending he was still asleep. He used his virus vision and looked through the wall. There it was, another rabies advance form, which suddenly charged into the room with a roar. Jenna awakened with a startled shout, and Balto leaped out of the bed at the attacking virus. There was a wet stabbing sound, and agonized groans penetrated the blackness. “Balto!” Jenna screamed. “Balto!” She turned on a generator, flooding the room with light. Balto was unhurt; he was standing there with one of his virus arms shoved clean through the advance form’s chest, purple blood spilling out from its ruptured heart. It gagged, trying to breathe with blood pouring from its mouth, and finally went limp. Balto withdrew the virus arm, and the monster’s body collapsed. He went over and held Jenna comfortingly. “Are you okay?” she gasped. “I’m fine, Jenna. Don’t worry. It’s alright.” When they were done embracing, Balto looked at the advance form’s body. “It must have tracked us here from the garbage lot; my blood would’ve left a strong scent trail for them. At least I can make sure they can’t do it again.” He shook his head. “You know,” he said, “Sorrow is just going to keep chasing us as long as he has reason to be here. He’s never going to stop.” “What are we going to do?” Balto sighed. “I think there’s only one option.” He looked at Jenna. “I have to make it so there’s no reason for him to be here. I have to destroy whatever it is he’s looking for. Did you ever hear anything about where it is?” “He mentioned something to one of his advance forms about accidentally causing an avalanche when he was climbing a mountain on some kind of search. He said it was the mountain nearest the one he landed on when he came.” “I think I know which one he means. We’ll have to go there and see if we can find anything.” “Do you have any idea of what it is?” “No, but knowing Sorrow, it’s going to be something ugly.”

Balto and Jenna walked up a very steep slope, making their way further and further up the mountain that Sorrow had been searching on. The avalanche had made the snow rough and more difficult to navigate, but as they climbed higher, it became smoother. “If we reach the top of the avalanche site,” said Balto, “we’ll be right near where Sorrow…” “Balto,” Jenna interrupted, her voice disturbed. He turned and saw that she was staring at something. When he looked in the same direction, all he could do was stare as well. In the side of the mountain, there was a foreboding eight-foot-tall stone door. Balto and Jenna approached it, studying it. It appeared to open by splitting in the middle and sliding into the wall to either side. On the front, there was an etching of a silhouette of Alaska, in the midst of which was etched a bacillus silhouette. There was writing on the lintel of the door in large letters, and smaller writing around the upper part of the jamb. Balto looked at the large-lettered writing first. “Mycobacterium leprae,” he said. “It’s the name of leprosy bacilli. The tools gave me a lot of knowledge about this kind of thing.” He proceeded to read the rest of the writing. “All besides the master who enter…walk to their death. The power beyond…shall be claimed only by him.” Balto looked back down at the etching on the door, determination in his face. “I’m not afraid,” he said, and extended the tongues of the virus arms into some spaces between the doors. Slowly, he drew them open, and he and Jenna were suddenly bombarded with a terrible stench as green smoky vapor spilled from the door. They stepped back, coughing. “What is that?” Jenna asked. “Is it leprosy?” “No,” Balto replied, “it just hasn’t been opened in ages. Whatever’s in here is making a stink. Another writing on the door said this is about fifty years old, and by the looks of things, it’s been buried under the snow for a while.”

The smoke cleared, and Balto peered in, seeing nothing in the darkness. “Let’s go, Jenna,” he said, stepping forward. But then, a sound came to their ears, a strange, deep growling noise. They both stopped dead, listening to the sound. It grew louder, and Balto stepped aside from the door. “Stand back,” he said, and Jenna backed up a few steps. “I’m going to try to find something that talks about this,” Balto said, looking around to the right of the door. The noise got louder, and Jenna started to become very nervous. Balto finally found writing etched into the rock, and began to read it out loud quickly. “The death sentence of the old world lies here. That it be only the master who may control it, so shall it curse any other who tries…” Balto straightened up and turned around. Although Jenna was a few steps away from it, the door was still facing her directly. The noise coming from inside built up suddenly. “NOOOO!” Balto screamed, rolling to his left and coming up on his feet, between Jenna and the door. He put the virus arms in front of himself as the sound, now a throaty roar, rushed toward the entrance from inside. Fire suddenly appeared all around Balto, and he cried out. Jenna was terrified for a moment, thinking that Balto was being burned alive, but she saw that he was holding the flames away with the virus arms. She went around to the right, and saw that there were not actually flames coming out of the door. Instead, there was a flood of a green vapor-like substance pouring out, which turned to flame right before it came in contact with the virus arms. Now she realized; what was coming from the door was a torrent of leprosy bacilli, and Balto was destroying them as they came, wrestling with the stream that was obviously intended to kill intruders. Balto rallied his power and, with a mighty yell, shoved the virus arms into the stream, sending flames through the door and down the passage, burning the bacilli faster than they were produced. After a certain point, there was an explosion of stone, and a flaming white shape flew shrieking from the door, landing in the snow behind the pair. The two of them turned around and approached it cautiously. Whatever is was, it looked like a mass of rotten white flesh in the shape of a six-legged creature. It was so white it was almost difficult to see against the snow, as it lay there, unmoving. “I guess that’s the gate guard,” Balto said. The creature was still breathing, though weakly, small flames still burning on its body. It raised its head suddenly, turning toward the pair. It hissed loudly, then opened its mouth and sprayed a liquid mass of leprosy bacilli onto Jenna’s face. She cried out, staggering backwards, and lowered her head, pawing at her face desperately, trying to remove the fluid. “Balto!” she shouted. He was already there, and pulled her paw away from her face. “Hold still, Jenna!” he said, touching the virus arms’ tongues to Jenna’s face and quickly vaporizing the bacilli. He could tell it was all gone; she was in no danger of infection. “Are you alright?” he gasped urgently. “I’m fine,” she replied. Balto’s face filled with fury, and he turned around, grabbing the creature’s neck and punching the other virus arm clean through its head. It died instantly, flopping down on the snow after Balto removed the arm. He turned to face Jenna again. “Now we can go in,” he said, more calmly. “Woo hoo,” Jenna said, and Balto chuckled. They went in, going down a dark stone corridor, past the spot where the sentinel had been hiding. Their path turned left, then right at that spot, then widened. “Stick close,” Balto said quietly. Jenna came up very close beside him. “Definitely no problem there,” she replied.