Author's Note

Yay another chapter. Boo, it's late. I'm likely committing a writer's sin here taking a long time to get chapters out so if this is bugging you, let me know. As I said I'm taking my time but that doesn't mean I should take forever so I don't have an excuse for this. The only thing I want to avoid is too much activity all at once and make a mistake somewhere along the way. Anyway, see you next chapter.

The Path to Inferno

After some well deserved rest and a cup of tea to soothe his mind, Allen was making his way to the dragon lands on foot with Markus and Dante bringing up the rear with Chrysalis next to him. "Are you sure you're rested?" Markus questioned her student in concern, thinking he was under powered as opposed to last time, but the blade responded differently, answering her question as Allen's mind was wandering. "Lost?"

"Maybe." He look to Chrysalis and she nodded, buzzing her wings and gaining some height before stopping and coming back down. "Are we on track?"

She nodded, feeling proud of Mikael for land such a capable mate. "Seems your memory was not as worn as you first thought." He continued on his way and the three exchanged a look before chuckling as he saw the dragon lands. Hot, sweltering rock baked in the sun as the heat was unbearable. "Hope you don't mind being in your skivvies?" Teased the queen as Allen left his clothes on to protect himself from the sun as best he can, leaving his footwear behind so the soles didn't melt. His feet felt hot for the first time in a while before his mind and aura adjusted for the heat. The pain to his skin wasn't nearly as bad as it felt compared to cool flooring back home.

They walked into the dragon's domain and several smaller drakes landed in front of them. One a red dragon with a large snout that strut up to them and got in Allen's face. "Aren't you a long way from home little pony?"

Allen looked this drake in the eyes and they felt something strange from him. "I don't know. Do I look like I belong anywhere?" His tone and question unnerved the others while the red one got more brazen and started to inhale before Allen breathed fire that was full strength and done properly. "Breath of the dragon, form one, Roar." The red drake coughed as he seemed to have lost his breath for a second. "Now if you're quite done trying to impress the females of your kind, I need to speak with your reigning king." The other dragons looked a bit shocked. "You got a problem with that?" His demanding tone had struck with the others but the red drake became infuriated.

Smoke rolled from his nostrils as they flared with anger. "Nobody makes a fool of Garble." He swiped a claw and Allen moved his staff to meet the claw with his blade as it was covered in a fire aura. The drake tried a tail whip but it was met with the monks own tail as his aura took shape. "What?!" Garbles surprise was met with a claw lit aflame to his face as he screamed in pain. "You pathetic..."

Allen's aura settled and he returned his staff to his side. "Now if you're manly image has been preserved or destroyed, I have no more time with you. Now where is your king." As if fate had agreed with the monk's resolve, a large dragon landed next to the whole group and stood proud with a scepter in its hands. "I take it you're the king." He stated more than asked as it was an obvious tell.

"I am Torch, current Dragon Lord and ruler of the Dragon Lands." He then leaned down intensely. "And you are trespassing." His lowered voice gave his words extra boom and base up close but Allen did not flinch as he simply stood there, unfazed.

"Trespassing won't mean a thing to the threat knocking on everyone's borders." The drakes start laughing as the lord chuckles, before the human stomps the pommel into the ground, rocking the earth and forcing out air. "If you think this is funny then welcome to Comedy Central. Otherwise, shut the fuck up." The young drakes took offense to Allen's words while Torch took interest in his bravery. "Now that I have your attention, if I have to prove myself to receive your help then tell me how so I can get this over with."

Torch grinned and stood proud. "There are a few tests to prove yourself to me, but if your pressed for time, you have three options that I can think off the top of my horn." Allen's expression did not change as he was preparing a method to match to Dragon lord of the region. "The first is a bit ridiculous, but fun. You have a pick of three games played by younger dragons: Belching Fire, King of the Hoard and Lava Dive since you don't have a tail to wrestle with." The Changeling queen looked a bit terrified at the first option and felt it was the most tame which irked her a bit as the other two were likely worse. "Single combat with me until one of is down for a few counts or knocked out." The drakes cheered as the opposing part was unnerved at that option seeing as Torch is massive. "And finally a test designed to test other drakes, made by me."

Allen tapped the pommel to the ground as his aura coated over the staff and himself. "I don't have time for your tests, and we're running short on time available, so forgive me Lord Torch if I offend you after taking your second option." Torch smiled and his smile turned into a grin as he saw something new. His pommel seemed to burn with a dark red fire as he chanted and the other dragons would interrupt him if Torch didn't stop them himself. The ring at the top gathered fire from the sky and gained wings of flame. Allen then held out his hand, gathering ambient flame from the area as it traveled to the center of his body with the other two flames. "Because I do not have the time or the patience for your horde, your strength or your pride." The flames met in the center and a brilliant radiance of heat was witness as he was covered in a flaming veil the resembled a dragon. He took the aura from the staff and left it planted in the ground before the veil grew in size to match the dragon lord as they fought.

Garble then went to the other three before Dante met with the drake, a roaring fire barely contained by a cooled exterior. "You got something to say lizard boy or are you just but hurt that you got owned by what you think is a pony." Garble tried another flame breath before his maw was clamped shut and it spewed out his nose. "Cool, but gross." He let go and Garble started to complain about his nostrils before the rage demon turned back to see Allen's fight and win as the monk had Torch pinned with both he and his veil looking quite angered.

"Submit!" Commanded the monk and Torch refused before feeling his wings get pulled. "I will rip your wings and ground you for the rest of your life, now submit!" He roared wrathfully and Torch voiced his concede before Allen let him go and the fiery veil shrank before vanishing and Allen walked back, collecting his staff and turning to Torch. "Assemble the other Dragon Lords and matured dragons for an assembly. Garble was furious before Allen turned and roar. "I do not have time for your dick measuring contest you Salamander Spirit wanna-be Fire Gauntlet drop out, so sit there and stew in your toxic masculinity or fuck right the hell off!" Markus was proud of Allen for asserting himself when needed and Dante was proud of and for him for raising his voice when it was needed and laying on and appropriate yet still savage burn which made Garble think on the monks words.

Further impressed by his resolved the larger dragon stood. "You impress me yet again young creature." He congratulated the monk. "Very well, I shall summon and ask the other lords to summon the mature dragons of their areas for a council regarding your request."

"Where will it take place?" Queen Chrysalis chimed wanting to accompany him just in case things got nasty quick.

"It shall take place at Molten Peak, the largest volcano in the realm." Allen the bow humbly and walked further into the lands.

Turning to Chrysalis, she already knew to lead the way and wait for a teleport if it would help cover the distance without tiring her out. Within an hour, they made it to a volcano that was putting off enough heat to see the wave of intense heat. "Are you sure about this?" She asked with obvious concern.

He looked to her and could the dragons out the corner of his eye. "Do you think I have a choice? I have to meet them somewhere they can all agree to congregate so my options are limited." The dragons started to make way to the mountain of molten rock and he covered himself in the dragon veil to fly over, not sure if he could endure the heat. As he got closer, he used he magic to cycle the heat over his body, preventing any burning but if the conference took to long he could die from the heat. Once inside, the dragon lords started to take a perch while the other dragons waited outside, likely for any acoustics that will help transfer their voice to the outside. Soon they looked his way and Allen stepped forth. He took a breath to speak loud with pride. "Dragon lords of Gaia, you were summoned because of a threat that has emerged from times of old. That threat has been morphed into a presence that endangers your lives and lively hood. That threat is know as The Twisted." Two dragon lords out of the others looked shocked while the others looked confused but the elders spoke.

"The Twisted? Surely you are being a jester. They have not been seen for thousands of years." The older of the elder dragons spoke. He seemed familiar to the monk as the scales seemed closer to a tan from the light of the fire but Allen could almost swear they've met. "Who are you to say they have returned?" The elder asked sternly, smoke beginning to roll from his nostrils.

Allen looked up to the elder lord and the dragon could almost remember those eyes. "I am Allen Augus." The other dragons were in an up roar, calling alias' like 'Flame Splitter', 'Iron Monger', 'Scale Master' but Allen had his limit. "Silence!" His voice made the cave echo and rumble from the force of his command. "We do not have time for this! The Mutilated are worse than the twisted because they have a more violent and destructive source." The dragons were quiet now as they listened to him, knowing he had something else to say. "So I will simplify my request so there is no false dilemma. If you are not ready to be at any point during the war then stay out. Otherwise, I need aid in this fight, however you can provide it. Magic and elemental attacks are the only things we know of that have a hope of harming the mutilated and any new methods would be greatly accepted. Physical weapons can be corrupted and if they touch you, you will become part of them." The dragons heard him, not pausing him for a question. "To any dragons that wish to help, follow the demons Makus and Dante outside if you wish to join the forefront of battle. Those who wish to play support, follow the Changeling Queen to the supply and medical tents set up. That is all I wish to say and ask."

He left the central chamber and made it outside, feeling a cold snap from the temperature change as he met back up with the others. "You give a good speech." He smiled at his teacher's compliment as the dragons started hovering above the volcano. "We'll fulfill our end of the task and help bring more to the fight. You just focus on getting ready." Allen nodded and the dragons followed the trio in battle as he wished good fortune upon them.

He collected his foot wear on the way back into the forest and was met by a dragon that had matured their wings, blue scales and amber eyes. "You really let them know they could die yet you're asking the young ones to stay out of this." She seemed offensive about the situation she was likely put in. "There had better be a good reason."

Allen then got in her face and their eyes were close to see each other. "Because you should know as well as I do that unless they know what's in store, the younger drakes would be assimilated from their ego of being the strongest race." He then backed away, his stern words proving a point to the wisdom and fear he held. "And the road to inferno is often paved with good intentions." The dragon looked struck but confused. "I'm not expecting everyone to survive, I'm expecting us to win, by any means available to us." She smiled and nodded, thinking he had placed fair pride in bringing others together. "And if your lord doesn't make it back, you take his place." He pointed the staff to her as he said that.

"Why me?!" Asked she in shock.

"Because the dragons need someone assertive and thoughtful to rule them, not a raging vengeance driven moron like red rash back there." The dragoness laughed, silently agreeing with him as he walked off to return home and plan his next move. He thought about his new life the whole while, thinking that after this there would be little left to do. He has the energy and the means to advance but what will be left to advance to after the mutilated have been silence. 'How would I even silence them in the first place?' He thought about how the twisted had been silent for a few thousand years and then they return with strange and horrifying abilities. And the new source was worse than the last one because the pony only wanted to destroy so the twisted were resilient. These ones were defiling and mutilating everything they touched, making them dangerous and hard to kill at the moment.

He soon returned to his home and went inside, ignoring the ponies in the street as he set his staff in the living room as Mikael hugged him. "Where to next and when?" The red head asked as he gently kissed his monk.

"Well it's either the minotaur or the kirin next. One can use magic, the other can handle heavy artillery." Answered Allen as he thought. "Taking the role of leader for a second, you can handle the Kirin since the minotaur can be a bit toxic with their image of strength if the stereotypes are to be believed."

"Do you believe them?" Mikael teased as the two hugged and sat down. "I love you, hunky monkey."

"I love you too, sexy Lexy." Mikael just chuckled trying to hold a laugh at the compliment. "What? That was the best I had."

"I know. I know." Mikael said, patting Allen's chest. "Oh god, I'm sorry dear but that was just funny." Allen then played a tsundere for a second. "Ah, honey don't pout." Allen humphed and Mikael started to wiggle his fingers on Allen's belly and the monk fell to pieces laughing as he tried to stop Mikael but demon used his tail too, lick it to Allen's neck as he begged Mikael to stop. He did and Allen went right for Mikael's neck before immediately stopping as he had his fill of fun and rubbed Mikael's wings. "Giving a massage?" Allen simply nodded and the demon lay on his belly as Allen firmly rubbed Mikael's wings and back, treating them gently to ease the muscles.

Before long, the incubus had passed out and Allen joined him by slipping under his wing. 'I know they don't see you as a good person, but I know better after the time we've spent together.' He kissed Mikael's cheek and got comfortable. "Sweet dreams, my Incubae."