46 Cyclone (1/2)

Cainus's voice had long since stopped echoing from the crimson sky as Will and Jake sat at the throne stairs. The revelation that the dark figure that had been haunting him had been his brother had shaken Will slightly at first, but knowing now that it wasn't his brother's own actions had lessened the blow a little.

Jumping to his feet, Will launched into the warm up exercises Jonathan had taught him at a young age. ”Well I guess it's time to get started.” he said with a light humor.

”With what exactly?” Jake asked as he also got to his feet and sent a look to Will. ”The only thing he told us was a tale from thousands of years ago. He didn't exactly leave an instruction manual on how to master the elements.” he said sarcastically.

Will sighed as he finished stretching his arms. ”What do you think the outside you is trying to do right now?” he asked as he dropped to a push up position. ”He is out there waiting to absorb the corruption from me to get stronger right?”

”Hence why I'm here right now.” Jake raised his hands at the thought. ”How do you intend to stop me?”

”I don't.” Will said simply as if he just just told Jake what was on the menu for today's lunch. ”I'm going to give you exactly what you want.” He got back to his feet and pulled the pendant from around his neck. The moment his palm closed around it, a burst of crimson and gold flames shot out. Within a second, he was holding his gold embroidered silver sword.

Jake smiled as he went for his own pendant. ”You know,” he started as black flames burst from his palm. ”Sometimes when you say things like that,” a long curved black blade shot out and connected with his hand. In seconds, Will was looking at the same scythe he had used moments ago against Jake. ”It's as if you really do look for trouble.” his face remained just as kind as moments before, but his aura had quickly became chaotic and black as a starless night. ”This isn't going to be easy, I just want you to know.”

Will looked at the scythe connected to his brothers arm and sighed. ”Nothing worth it ever is.” he said before readying himself for the first bout.

Suddenly the crimson sky within the throne room changed. Half of it was still the same crimson Will had been used to, the other half was as black and chaotic as Jake's aura.

”Are you ready?” Jake asked as he brought the scythe out to his side in a ready position.

”Could you ask me that again in a few years?” Will said with a smirk, his sword in the fighting stance that Michael had taught him during their sparring sessions.

Jake ran across the room to meet Will's blade while laughing. ”Sure!” He said as their blades met. ”After we break this curse, I'll ask you again when the real problems start!”

Within the large room, the sound of their blades meeting echoed off the golden pillars. Clash after clash, they met as if mirror images of each other.

Jake swung the scythe towards Will's neck and was parried before he could graze skin. Will brought his sword low after saving his neck, hoping to catch a foot or calf. His brother jumped backward just in time to miss the attack.

This is going to be a fight to the death. Will thought as he raised his sword in the ready position. His aura had long since burst forth. The crimson and gold radiated around him, casting reflections upon the floor and pillars. He looked as if he himself were on fire, though in a way he was. He was on fire with the resolve to end his brothers curse. The resolve to not sit on the sideline and allow tradition to vex him. He would have a brother in the world. If he had family, he would help them any way he could.

As if the aura itself was responding to his resolve, a gale of wind picked up around him, almost knocking Jake off his feet.

”That's it brother! That's what we need!” Jake yelled over the wind as he steadied himself.

The storm brewing around Jake should have been enough to blow him away until he himself mirrored the gale that was thrown at him. Twin storms blew within the throne room that rivaled that of a class ten tornado.

The auras of the two opponents faded as the wind took their place. Will now looked as if he were inside a small tornado. His feet had been taken off the ground slightly so he was hovering an inch above the surface. The crimson was replaced by the wind which whipped at his jacket, flinging it upward a long with his hair. Instead of a gold aura, the same color flashed like lightning within the wind. He was the storm.

Jake's wind was slightly different. It was tinted grey with black lightning flashing within, as if he were standing inside of a dark cloud. ”Remember this feeling Will!” He shouted above the storm as he raised his scythe to his brother. ”Remember that storm inside of you.”

As his brother was talking, a thin stream of darkness left Will's weapon and raced to Jake. The tendrils which had latched to him had been released. The moment the weapon was drained of darkness, his weapon began to glow a steady pale white.

As the two storms connected, a blinding white light encased everything around them. Before Will was able to register what was happening, he was forced upward through the crimson portion of the sky.

The ceiling opened up and he was thrusted back into consciousness. Before he could completely wake up, he heard his brother's faint voice from within his mind. Remember that I am within you. This other guy is nothing but an imposter. Don't forget about me.

Will was then laying within the fields of the self proclaimed town of Ember. He looked up into the eyes of his brother that sat atop him with his own pendant thrust within his chest. He was hoping for just a little recognition so he knew the whole thing wasn't just in his head. That's not me Will. His brother's voice rang from within him. Let's end this fight, we have more important things to worry about.

Will grasped the pendant from his chest and pushed upward, severing the link between him and the chaotic Jake who had taken his brother's place. Instead of blood coming from the wound, liquid too dark to be his own ran up the pendant and into the onyx gem.

When the black liquid filled the gem, darkness flooded around Jake. He grasped for the pendant while laughing maniacally. ”Thanks little brother!” He sneered in delight. ”It's what I've always wanted!” darkness flooded from the pendant in a wave. The ground itself began to shake underneath Jake's power. His pendant started to grow from under his grip. Large waves of energy emitted from it's growing form.

Will got to his feet with a smile on his face. ”Thanks for taking that from me Jake.” he said as he brushed off his clothing and looked at his own sword. It now held a transparent gem sitting next to his crimson jewel. The onyx gem at the blade seemed to have lost most of its darkness. Instead of being completely black, it was now a transparent gem with dark outlining.

As if he already knew what he would look up to see, Will had no surprise in his eyes when he saw the completed form of the scythe he had just moments ago wielded resting in Jake's hand. This one was not an extension of his arm, but an actual scythe. The extra long pole with a crimson, transparent and onyx gem placed in their sockets and had a dark chain wrapped around it. At the top was a jagged curved black blade.

”Sorry brother, I don't have any more time to play with you.” Will said as he raised his sword in front of him.