66 Dual Wield (2/2)
Thinking back to the months he had spent with Maya at her cottage, Will thought of the large tree where he did most of his practicing. He would make a flame within his hand and allow it to grow. He strengthened his gift by practice and will alone.
”Do you get it yet?” Ragnos appeared for a split second, long enough for Will to catch a glimpse of the gods eyes. ”You can't keep up with me, not because of your lack of ability to.” He said as he once again disappeared from sight. ”But because of your lack of belief.”
”I trained myself to use the aura,” Will said as he noticed yet another tear in his jacket. His left sleeve feel off from the shoulder, leaving his dark shirt as his only protection. ”But that didn't save Maya, she still died in the end.” The wounds of losing Maya only just started to heal since getting her back. ”If it weren't for the teachers I've had,” he looked at his sword and thought of the wind aura he had attained. ”I would never have gotten this strong.”
”Your abilities are in a league far greater than any teacher you have had!” Ragnos said as he separated the right sleeve of Will's jacket from his shoulder. ”You should never stop believing in your own ability! How did you attain your wind aura?”
Will thought back to the fight he had with Aremesis when he possessed Jake. He had been so desperate at the time, it wasn't much thought that activated the other aura as much as it was something else. ”Instinct.” Will said silently to himself. ”I didn't do it on thought alone.”
”That's not all you've done on instinct.” Ragnos slowed to a stop next to his student. ”Think of your sword, William. Was it truly Michael who taught you how to summon it? Or rather did he just show you what was around your neck?”
Thinking back to the time within the cottage with Michael, Will remembered the lessons he had endured. His uncle taught him to hold his own in a sword fight, also how to increase his flames. For months he had strengthened his mind, body and spirit. He did weight training as he ran, he sparred with Michael and he meditated.
Of all that he learned from his uncle, Ragnos was right. It wasn't Michael that showed him how to activate his sword. It took desperation and a will to protect Bianca after the pain of losing Maya.
”Is the sword really the last clear example?” Ragnos questioned as he took a seat at an empty crater and beckoned Will closer. ”Don't worry,” The god said with a chuckle. ”I'll make an exception to the no break rule.”
Shrugging a shoulder, Will went to the crater Ragnos sat at and took a seat next to him. ”There are many different examples of you stepping over the rules placed to manage the aura.”
”I get it,” Will said as he thought back to the sword. ”The time that I summoned the sword was kind of like acting on instinct, I'll give you that.” He said. ”But I only achieved that by the training my uncle gave me.”
”Did your uncle teach you how to siphon off someone else's aura? How to dissipate a corrupt aura?” Ragnos raised an eyebrow. ”How did you know to siphon off Jake's corrupt aura when you sparred with him the first time?” He raised one finger. ”And how to siphon energy from a second lineage weapon along with someone else's aura to increase your attack?” He raised a second finger. ”How exactly did you unlock your wind affinity?”
Will thought back to the times the old god mentioned. ”I was desperate.” He said as he thought of each time. ”I had those I needed to protect, there wasn't any time to think.”
”There it is!” Ragnos slapped Will on the back. ”You had no time to think, instead you felt what to do, correct? You allowed the situation to take over, you took shotgun.”
”If that's true, how exactly are you going to teach me to use the other affinities?” Will thought of how he learned wind. ”I barely have a second element learned, how am I supposed to learn the rest?”
”You think you've mastered the wind element?” Ragnos chuckled quietly. ”Maybe you know how to tap into the element, but do you truly know how to use it?”
Will brought his cross out and shifted out his scythe. Ragnos only smiled. ”You still believe that the type of weapon you wield has anything to do with the aura you use. I already told you, the weapon is just the tool.”
”This is the way I learned to use the wind element.” Will said as he created a palm sized tornado in his hand. He then let it dissipate and instead shifted the scythe into his sword. Instantly he felt the heat of his fire element course through the weapon. He then willed the gold wiring to melt off and become his second sword. ”This is the only form of weapon manipulation I've learned so far.”
”All of these theatrics are unnecessary.” Ragnos said as he rose from his seat. ”I think I've finally figured out how to train you, young William.”
Will watched the god walk a few paces away, with every step, a gale of wind blew stronger. As the wind grew, all sound was muffled and yet he could still hear Ragnos speak. ”I've been going about this the wrong way,” he said as he turned to face Will. ”I've been thinking that I'm enough to teach you how to rewire yourself.” A tornado surrounded him. Dirt rose from the ground and obscured Will's vision. ”When we all know, the best teacher one can ask for,” Will could hear the god's voice change from a husky old voice to a familiar young voice. ”Is oneself.” A mirror reflection of Will stared back at him.
Instead of a blazing glow of crimson and gold, the Will within the tornado glowed silver. Noticing the swords within the false Will's hands, Will's eyes grew wide. They were the same swords as he held in his hands, yet they gave off the presence of wind instead of the flame which he was so used to.
”Allow me to introduce you.” Ragnos said within the visage of a Will with a wind aura. ”This is what you could be, if you came to this world with the aura of the wind element.” He raised his swords at Will with resolve in his eyes. ”Prepare yourself, young William,” he swung one sword as a gust of wind blew a fresh crater within the ground. ”For if you wish to continue, you must defeat yourself.”