Will decided to wait the hour he had given Bianca and Jake to meditate before telling them about the unexpected turn of events. During that time, he caught up Leo on everything that had happened in the last six months he had been gone."Sorry about Maya bro," Leo looked Will in the eye, he had been Will"s friend since the third grade so he knew how high he valued the few friends he could make. He had been able to get to know Will throughout all of his life since then, the one thing he valued above all else were the people he grew to care about. Out of all the horrible things Will had told him, he knew that one loss would haunt his friend until his dying day.
"The problem isn"t just that it happened to Maya, but also of it happening all throughout Crystallia." Will had a vacant look in his eyes, as though he were not even in the room. "People are starving in that land all because my father refuses to take action and instead allows his advisors to run the kingdom while he hides in his chambers." He clenched a fist in his lap so as not to allow his emotions to be shown. "The advisors give the soldiers free roam of the land, killing elderly who can"t work, taking young women who can"t raise the crops within a deadline and use them for their own pleasure." Leo could see the look of disgust on Will"s face, he could only understand just the idea of corrupt leadership taking advantage of their citizens. He had not been there to witness what Will had, but by the look on his friends face, he knew the man wouldn"t stand by and allow them to continue.
Ever since Leo met Will, he could always tell the other had a heart of gold. The amount of times Will had stood up for him, the way he would always make sure the ones in distress were met with the proper guidance. Will had tried not to let anyone on to what his true feelings were, but as Leo looked at him, he knew that any innocent who was hurt would be met by the Crimson Prince.
Will looked his friend in the eyes with the resolve of a leader. A resolve Leo had always seen but turned a blind eye to for the sake of his friend. "I"m going to wait until the others are ready to join us before I say anymore." Leo understood what Will was thinking right away and gave him a knowing smile.
"Well then what are you waiting for," Leo asked as he sat forward in his chair. "Gather the troops for the briefing." Will got up and gave his best friend a smile as he headed for the door. He was going to send a flame message to all of his friends as well as Michael, but he remembered the warning he received from his uncle about privacy and decided to do things the long way.
Within a half an hour of searching, Will found all three of his companions and brought them into the dining room. Bianca was the first to enter the gla.s.s door and see her dorky best friend in all his glory surfing the internet on his laptop while waiting for the others. "Took you long enough to get here Lee," She said with a big grin on her face. "I was beginning to think you weren"t going to make it." Leo looked up from his laptop long enough to give her a smirk.
Jake was somewhat confused to see yet another person added to the residents of the mansion, though it seemed the three other teens had some history together. Instead of asking questions, he waved to Leo who in turn looked up from his computer yet again. "I"m glad Will is finally letting his circle of friends grow even a little," He lifted an eyebrow while looking Jake over. "Welcome to the team Jake." It was slightly bothersome to the other to have someone who just showed up tell him welcome, though instead of voicing his disproval, Jake only nodded.
"I suppose you have a good reason from waking me from my nap." Michael said as the usual businessman took a seat facing Will at the table. The others followed suit as they pulled out their own chairs on either side of Will. Michael had to smile. This was the first meeting of so many flame users that had taken place in fourteen years. Whether Will knew it or not, at the table at that instant he was making history.
Will only nodded to his uncle as he took in everyone who was sitting at the table. Bianca wearing her usual pink tank top with blue jeans, yet due to her training she decided to put her long brown hair in a ponytail. Jake was wearing a b.u.t.ton up black dress shirt almost b.u.t.toned up to the collar and blue jeans, his raven black hair looking freshly washed after his training. And Leo of course, still on his laptop looking through the news, his usual Ma.s.s Effect sweatshirt he had always worn through high school and his long hair brown hair parted ways to make room for his gla.s.ses. The three of his friends looked to be of different worlds of their own. No common interests, coming from different sides of life and yet sat at the same table waiting for their friend to speak.
"As Michael said, there is a very good reason as to why I have called you all here right now," Will said as he stood up and moved to the front of the table where he paced between all of his friends. "As we are all flame users at this table, it"s important to know exactly why we have this gift." As he mentioned everyone at the table, all eyes went directly to Leo. "It seems as long as you wish to be by my side, my flame unlocks the potential for the flame within all of you." He had already gotten everyone"s attention as Will saw his friends staring intently at him. "We have been given this power for a reason. Within another realm there are people starving who don"t need to be. There are injustices in which most of us at this table have been a witness to." Will"s expression turned more serious as he explained everything he had to Leo earlier on.
Bianca"s eyes went wide in shock at the mention of what happened to Maya, she knew more than anything how far Will was willing to take things for a friend. Jake listened intently to everything that had transpired, though he was still getting over the fact that there was another world besides Earth that they could travel to. Michael having already known all the facts instead paid close attention to all of the youths around the table, gauging the reactions of the many as if searing it into his mind that the conversation had in fact taken place. His eyes rested on Leo, easily seeing in the reflection of his gla.s.ses that the young man had been looking up any information about the certain abilities he had acquired.
"It"s my opinion that we are here in order to beat these advisors to the ground, there by releasing the Crimson King from his stupor." Will said as he put his fists on the table, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of the words in which he spoke. "It is our job to wake the king so he can see the true state of his kingdom and exactly who has been in charge while I"ve been gone." Ending on that note, Will didn"t move. Instead he looked to all his friends, insuring they knew exactly what he intended to do. "That being said," He continued, "We still have much training to do before we are ready to take on anyone."
Will looked around the room, sizing everyone up. "Leo," he looked at his two childhood friends with a smile. "Your sparring opponent will be Bianca, since we"ve known each other for years you both should know each others limits." Next he looked to Jake. "Since I brought you into this mess, I should be the one to train you." Jake nodded his approval. If he was going to take any instructions, it would be from Will.
"As of right now, your flames are barely able to light a candle." Will said as he looked around the room. "I will give you two months to improve yourselves in any area you can. At that time," Will focused his gaze at Michael. "We will take the fight back to the advisors and set the surrounding towns free of oppression." When the last words left his mouth, Will went to the gla.s.s door and opened it. "Your training begins now, don"t waste any time. Every life in this room and in the realm we are going to depends on your dedication." As Will spoke, everyone got up from their seats and went to the door, everyone except for Michael.
"Will, if you"d be so kind as to stay back for a minute," the business man said with a face to match his suit, "I"d like to have a few words." Will nodded at his uncle as he shut the door. Still seated where he was during the brief, Michael motioned his nephew to take a seat opposite of him. "Your father would be absolutely thrilled at what you"ve accomplished today, and I mean both of them." Michael"s eyes beamed at Will. "That was not the teenager that was afraid of losing another friend William," he said as he folded his hands in his lap. "That was the Crimson Prince, taking charge in order to right his father"s wrongs." Michael stared at his nephew for a moment before heading to the door. "Follow me, there"s something you"re going to need if you"re going to pull this off." Stepping out of the dining room, Will followed his uncle.
After walking to the center stairs, Michael stopped at a table in the center. Summoning a small flame within his palm, he pressed it against the smooth surface of the table. Almost instantly, there was a creaking on the left staircase. As Will turned to look for the source of the noise, he was surprised to see an indentation in the stairs as a pa.s.sageway came into view.
Walking over to the small s.p.a.ce within the stairs that had been turned downward at the wrong angle, Michael beckoned Will to follow. Going down the small pa.s.sageway, Michael summoned another flame in his palm to light the way. As far as Will could see, it was an old cobblestone stairwell going down further than he could see. As surprised as he was to be witness to such a sight, what Michael did next made him question if what he"d seen was real. Stopping at an exact step, his uncle put the flame to the wall and yet another doorway opened up to greet them. The door led to a hallway leading down for some time. The only source of light that was in the hallway was the flame within his uncles hand.
Walking for just a few minutes, Michael came to a brief stop and turned to the wall. Placing a hand of flame on a cobblestone within the wall, a final door slid open to reveal the source of all the security Michael had to go through just to get to that spot. In the room, torches lit on their own as the two stepped in.
As far as Will could see, there were rows upon rows of silver artifacts which reflected the light of the torches. The young mans eyes went wide as he saw the ma.s.sive amounts of shelves holding the precious artifacts within perfectly well placed s.p.a.cing. "These are the artifacts left by the deceased and the unnamed." Michael said with a solemn look. "Some of these artifacts haven"t even been bound with blood, so your friends will be able to choose their very own lineage artifact." Michael went to one of the shelves and picked out a jewelry box. Collecting three rings, he carefully placed each one into it. Turning back to Will, his gaze turned serious. "The weapon in which they receive will vary from person to person," Michael shut the box before continuing his explanation. "Some say that the weapon that is formed is in the shape of the heart in which wields it." Will could tell that his uncle had just given him a warning, one that he didn"t intend to forget.