64 Celestial Steel (2/2)
”That was good use of the wind aura.” Ragnos said as he observed Will. A miniature twister had formed around the prince as if it were a miniature shield. ”I would be careful with that element though.” He put away his short sword and long sword. With both hands free, he summoned water and fire in opposite palms.
Throwing water first, he engulfed the twister in his own element. Will could see the wind dissipate before he could react. The wind was replaced with ice, encasing him in a solid icicle.
Sprinting to the young Prince, Ragnos used the flame within his other palm to break through the ice and grab Will by the jacket, flinging him to the dirt.
Will laid sprawled on the ground panting. His body involuntarily shivered as he tried to register what happened. ”How?” He tried to work out what the god had done. ”How could you control two elements at once?”
”That impressed you?” Ragnos summoned a flame in one palm, water in the other. ”You think this is the extent of my power?” He summoned a gale of wind around him. It could have been Will's imagination, but it seemed like the field grew brighter. He stumbled to his feet as the earth shook. ”This is how to use the gifts which you have barely tapped into.”
Will could only stare at the armored god as he literally glowed with power. ”You can also use them like this.” He transferred each element to every weapon he had. ”Celestial steel does not change form when summoning a specific element, William. On the contrary, you just make it a different shape depending on what you need at the time.”
The God's long sword burst into flame while his short sword glowed blue. The greatsword on his back gained a green hue while his knives had tiny twisters surrounding them on his belt. Will noticed Ragnos's armor took on a darker shade, as if light no longer bounced off of it, instead, it looked as if any light was sucked in.
Will felt like he was David facing Goliath with just a sling shot. He had never known he had such power at his command. Looking down at his scythe, he had no doubt Ragnos's little daggers were more than enough to match his blade.
”Good.” Ragnos said with a smile. ”Sometimes humility can open the door to better understanding.” He allowed himself to relax. In moments mere moments he was standing beside Will once more in his black fur coat. ”You still have much to learn,” he said as he placed his hand on the prince's shoulder. ”I can teach you, if you let me.”
”Why?” Raising an eyebrow, Will folded his arms and gave the god his most puzzled look. ”I already took care of your brother, why would anyone need me to be stronger?”
”Actually, I only fended off Aremesis through you, he isn't really gone for good.” Ragnos said. ”Besides, that's not the end of the problems to this land.”
”There's someone worse than Aremesis?”
”Yes.” Ragnos paused for a moment. Will could tell he was trying to think of his words carefully. ”You.”
”Me?” Will pointed a finger to himself. ”You think I'm a threat to Ebonhart?”
Ragnos let out a low rumble of a chuckle while looking at the surprised teenager. ”That's right. I want you to imagine something for me.” He said as he turned to the fields. ”In three months, if something is not done about the field, the blood of your enemies will seep into the soil, making the soil impossible to plant any more crops. But you have a solution for that, right?”
”We could either bring technology from our world to cleanse the fields, or harness the water aura to cleanse it ourselves.”
”That.” Ragnos pointed a finger at Will. ”That is exactly why you are a threat. A threat of change. You will help these lands grow prosperous.”
”And?” Trying as hard as he could to understand the gods reasoning, he couldn't figure out how helping would hurt.
”You are going to heal Ebonhart, bring in new technology, make travel easier and living much more comfortable.”
”I'm not following,” Will finally had enough. ”How is that a bad thing?”
”What about the rest of the world? What happens when news of prosperity spreads through other lands?”
”Good point.” Will looked pensively at Ragnos. ”So are you saying I shouldn't interfere?”
”Would you be able to refrain from helping? Could you look at a starving child in the eyes as he cradles the corpse of his father?” Ragnos's expression changed to something unreadable. ”Could you ignore the cries of the people of Ebonhart and shut the doors of the castle once more?”
Will thought back to the moment he met Maya. To Roy and the many others who were affected by the way of the world much longer than just when he and Maya blew through. He thought of Roland and the thousand slaves. ”No, I wouldn't be able to do that, nor should anyone ask such things of me.”
”This!” Will jumped back as Ragnos's voice rung out in a boom. ”This is why you shouldn't be king of Ebonhart!”
”Why? I can't just let things continue as they had before I arrived, there won't be much of a kingdom after my father's reign if the lands remain without change!” Will yelled back.
”Then what is your decision on the other lands?” Ragnos's voice quieted, but still rung with absolute authority. ”Will you increase the numbers of your military and fend off the world from all sides?”
”That would be foolish and impossible.” Will said as he looked back in the direction of the castle. ”Instead, I will unite the kingdoms. I will share everything with the other kings and queens of the land. They will become as prosperous as Ebonhart.”
”Impossible!” Ragnos roared. ”These are people of tradition, they would never bend to a ruler of Ebonhart.”
”Then I will remove them, for the sake of the world.” Will looked directly into the gods eyes. ”There is no room in this world for slavery anymore.”
”This is not something a simple ruler from a distant kingdom can do.”
”Then I will no longer be that ruler.” Will said simply. ”I will find another to take my place, as well as the place of every ruler who wishes to halt the changes I will make upon this land.”
”You will need much more power to make such promises.” Ragnos said.
Will smiled at the god. ”Isn't that why we're talking?”