30 Dreams of Redemption (2/2)
Walking outside, the sun had only just started to rise, the dew on the ground from the change in the weather was thick, giving the perfect condition to start sparring. Taking a deep breath of the morning air, Will looked to the slowly changing sky. ”Took you two long enough.” A voice sounded nearby. Will looked to the small water fountain in front to see Bianca in her usual pink spaghetti top and blue jeans. Everything about her had his heart aflame. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail except for a small portion which covered one of her brown eyes. It almost seemed like a perfect setting for a date besides the training sword in her hand.
Stretching one last time, Will grabbed one of the two other training swords that were leaning against the fountain. Starting off the training, the three friends did a half hour of sword thrusts to loosen their tight joints and to get their blood circulating. As he did one thrust after another, Will never let his mind wander. He allowed his body to become one with his weapon. After almost a year of training in many forms, he could only take the few hours seriously. At first when starting with Michael, he was more than irritated when he was the only one doing the exercises. Thinking back on such times, he remembered his first time doing thrusts with the sword. Michael had him do two hours of constant thrusts while he took a nap at a tree. At first Will couldn't help but become irritated as he saw he was the only one taking the training seriously. It was only after Michael showed him the fruits of his labor that he realized that he was the only one who truly needed to learn, what his uncle did while teaching was of no consequence.
The sun almost reaching the top of the trees in the largely wooded estate, the three friends turned to each other. After the thrusts began the true training. Will took a deep breath, preparing him for the fight he knew was to come. The next hour and a half was solely dedicated to sparring. Since he had been trained a lot more than the other two, Bianca and Leo usually teamed up to try to score a point. The last time Bianca had the upper advantage was when Jake was around for the first lesson. At that time, Will didn't take the practice seriously since he didn't know what the two were capable of.
Not letting his guard down for a moment, Will allowed the two to circle him. Closing his eyes, he relied only on his aura to detect their assault. Leo and Bianca watched as Will's aura took form, giving his leather jacket a blood red appearance. At first it seemed a little unnerving to witness due to the fact that they weren't used to seeing such a transformation, but after the weeks flew by, they had grown to know Will's new power and instead of fearing it, they grew to learn from it.
Moments passed as if minutes as the darkness enveloped Will's vision. Patiently waiting for the onslaught to begin, he only allowed himself to focus on the dim red within his mind. As soon as the dimness turned to a flaming glow, he raised his sword to counter a strike.
Back and forth, from side to side Will was able to rely on his aura to detect any threat and was able to respond accordingly. Bianca and Leo tried a combined effort from both sides to gain the upper hand. Their attacks were coordinated as they struck from each direction. Will only needed to rely on his aura to notice any cracks within the assault in order to counter. Meeting Leo's blade with his own, Will ducked to dodge the other coming from his right.
Using the resistance from the blade he was fending off, Will channeled his aura to his feet as he back flipped a few paces back. Not giving him any time to recover, Leo and Bianca used their own aura to propel themselves forward to meet him once again with their blades. The dance continued for only a few minutes as Will dodged each attack or parried each blade. His body moving as fluidly as the flame in which he wielded.
As Will dove in between the two swords for the final time, Leo and Bianca came to a stop. Though Will had easily countered each of their advances, Bianca noticed sweat coating her boyfriends brow. She had often wondered why he had always worn that jacket, even in the warmest weather while training. She had always worn light clothing even when it was cold out and she was able to keep going a lot longer because of it.
Will took the opportunity given to him by his friends to launch himself in between them. As fast as he was, they hardly noticed as each of them received a tap on the shoulder. ”You should be prepared for anything,” He said as he looked at his dumbfounded friends. ”Don't let up on your assault just because you may have found a weakness.” He turned to Bianca. ”If you notice any sluggish movements, take advantage of them.” Turning to Leo, Will gave an appraising glance. ”Don't think about the battle, feel it out. You will know when the right time to attack is.”
”I was just wondering why you wear that jacket every day even during training,” Bianca said as she set her training sword down at the fountain. ”You move fluidly but it seems to take more out of you wearing the thing.” Will laughed at the thought.
”You wouldn't even be able to approach me if I take this thing off.” He said as he looked down at the worn out leather jacket. He remembered the first month of training he had with Michael. His uncle didn't allow him to wear it the full time he was training. When he had first taken it off and activated his aura, he felt an overwhelming surge of power. The jacket itself was a seal to his lineage flame, the only thing that allowed him to live in the normal realm for all the years that he did. Though he was constantly wearing it now, the strength of the flame seeping through the seal was enough to give the appearance of being a normal flame.
The break having concluded, Will picked up his sword once again and turned to his friends. ”If you can overwhelm me with my jacket on,” Will raised an eyebrow as he put the sword to his shoulder. ”Then I'll consider taking it off.”
With those few words of encouragement, Bianca no longer felt sorry for the onslaught she and Leo were bringing upon Will, but instead felt it more of a challenge. For the next hour, the two continuously strived for their point, yet every time they were close enough to touch him, Will always found a way through their strikes.
As the hour approached the end, Will was no longer the only one coated in sweat as the three of them continued their dance. Getting close and then losing their advantage, it felt more like a game of tag than it did training. When the sun was high above the trees and the sky was a light blue, Will called the time. ”You guys did good today,” He said with a smile as he put his sword away. ”I know soon you will be able to match even my abilities.”
Following suit, Bianca and Leo set down their swords by the fountain and followed Will inside the manor. The next hour was for taking a shower and getting ready for breakfast. The training eerily reminded Will of the schedule he had during his stay at his uncle's.
As the three entered the dining area an hour after their training, they found their favorite meals already cooked and placed at the table. Will sat at the table where his favorite scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon and toast was waiting for him. Before he dug in, his uncle made an appearance.
Walking into the room in a normal stride, Michael took his seat in front of Will. Since he had been a part of his nephews life, he had always found the proper place for him to sit was where he could see him. ”How went the training?” Michael asked as he took a drink of the coffee that Helga the servant just placed in front of him. ”Did either of you advance in your training?” Michael looked at Leo and Bianca.
Sighing to herself, Bianca didn't have the energy to respond to the question as she took a fork full of her sunny side up eggs. Leo was too preoccupied with his laptop to give Michael an answer.
As the meal drew to a close, the group finished their plates and allowed Helga to collect them. ”I think it's time we start planning for the future,” Michael said as he looked at Will. ”With the dreams you've been having, I believe I know what our best move would be.” Will looked at his uncle with a complicated expression. He hadn't even told him about the dreams, but somehow he wasn't surprised.
”I think it's time for you three to continue your path within Crystallia.”