The Crimson Prince： Awakening

Every time they returned to the dungeon, he embraced her as she cried. Each time, he vowed to bring an end to Jake. His first disciple was not who he brought in. With each deed, he saw the corruption of the man he once felt such promise from.

Each night after their mission, he took the remainder of the time to think of how to get Maya out of the situation she had found herself in. As he held her every night as he slept, he had the same dream he always had.

Each night he would dream of the inevitable task he would have to undertake. Each time they went to a new village, the amount of crimson would increase when he stabbed Maya. The vision never faltered, no matter what he would think of before shutting his eyes, he would always see the look of acceptance come from his friend as his sword was drenched in her blood.

Due to his dreams, Will tried to stay awake as much as possible. Having Maya so close, every time he fell asleep his sword would be in his hand when he woke.

Having just gotten back from Crystal Cove, Will had started to understand exactly where the land had gotten it"s name. As he looked upon the large amethyst shards of Crystal protruding from the ground, he thought of the name Crystallia. He remembered the same stone on earth, but the Crystal always lay within stone. The crystals within this world had the shine of a stone never hidden in the earth.

Sitting in his dungeon, Will allowed himself to slip into meditation as he normally would. Cainus had taken advantage of his captivity by training him for hours. The time within his mind worked differently than he normal time. Seconds on the outside were like hours within.

Cainus had trained him in the art of flight with his flame in a few days within his mind. The ability was open to him by increasing the density of the flame to emulate jet propulsion.

Though the prospect of flight seemed straight forward, actually trying it was nearly impossible. He had to concentrate on the power it would take to lift his body throughout the flight.

Maya had let him train as much as he needed after her mission. Though they had finished the job, she wasn"t exactly required to go back to the dungeon immediately. In order to get her mind off of what she had done, she would watch Will struggle to achieve flight. At first, his aura burst out and sent him flying uncontrollably into a tree, she had a nice laugh at his misfortune. Gradually through one week, she saw his power grow as he rose a few feet off the ground only to lose concentration and wind up on his backside moments later. Within the half way mark of the second week, he was soaring above the tree line.

Though it always looked like he was just having fun, there were times he would look off in the distance while smiling. Maya often stood as he flew up with joy in his heart and wondered what he could be so happy about after what he had to be a witness to.

She had always smiled at him in admiration while looking back on the days he had spent painstakingly trained himself in order to light a single flame. It seemed so long ago that he had sat under her tree day in and day out using every ounce of his strength to get stronger. Though it seemed so long ago, she knew it had only been a few months.

If he can improve himself this much in a matter of months, maybe he could really find a way- she stopped mid thought and bit her lip. She would not allow herself to hope so openly.

What he did after he mastered flight dumbfounded her. He had started training her almost right after he got the hang of it.

Why he would train an enemy was beyond her, but within the last half of the second week, she had been able to rise a few feet off of the ground as well.

Maya sat in the corner of the dungeon watching closely as Will sat cross legged on his stone. He was deep within his own mind even though his eyes were always open. He would sit there for hours at a time, staring off into nothing. Though it looked as if he were just sitting on a rock, she knew he was actually hard at work.

A smile played on her lips as she looked at Will. It was almost nostalgic, she had often watched Will train in the months that he had been with her. She would sit within her cottage and look out the door as he would struggle to light a candle.

Thinking back to how hard it was for him to light even the most simplest of things, Maya couldn"t believe the same man was now capable of soaring through the sky.

Though his abilities had increased slightly in the time they spent together, she knew that he didn"t yet have the power to release her from captivity. Though she was frustrated, she knew he was trying as hard as he could.

There was a reason she had chosen a months time to free her. It wasn"t because she want patient, or even to give him a challenge. His time limit was given as her own limit.

The corrupt flame had only given her the ability to sustain life for only so long. She thought back to the day in which the wraiths had stabbed her and shuddered. Being brought back to life had not been a picnic either. She remembered waking up to Jake and what he had made her do. Kissing him was like touching death.

He had only given her two months time to live, even now she could feel her hold on life slowly draining away. Soon, the black flame would consume her entire being and she would be cast back into the nothingness the void offered.

Almost as if the thought of darkness had called it to her, the void called out once more. Maya"s eyes grew black as she was summoned to the inner sanctuary within her mind.

The memories of her time within her cottage with Will. The sunlight dancing upon his features as he summoned three b.a.l.l.s of crimson flame and set them above his head.

Maya smiled as she reminisced within her own mind. She was content just watching how things used to be.

As if sensing her happiness, Will turned to Maya, a grin playing upon his face. Maya shuddered at his appearance. The smile wasn"t one of happiness, but of murderous intent.

Before her eyes, Will transformed. His long brown hair turned ink black, his usual hazel eyes took on a dark appearance and the crimson flame above his head turned black.

Maya knew in an instant that she was looking into the eyes of her captor.

"What do you want Jake?" she asked with an annoyed tone. She never liked to see his smug face, it seemed like a warped, evil version of Will. She could never stand to see him that way.

The raven haired man gave a chuckle as one of the black orbs of flame opened up like a window. "Don"t think I haven"t a clue as to what our young William has been doing while he follows you at night." he said as he waved a hand at the window.

Before Maya"s eyes, she saw herself killing an elderly couple. The moment she left, she saw a hint of crimson before Will followed. The image stayed stationary long enough for her to see their children running out of the cottage. Each had a faint red aura surrounding them.

"Your final task before I have no more use of you," he said in a bored nonchalant voice, "is to find the survivors and kill them." with that last statement, he waved a hand at the flame mirror and allowed it to dissipate.

Jake"s friendly atmosphere turned to a look of disgust. "I could kill you this very moment." he said with a murderous gaze. A dark flame appeared in his hand as he glared at Maya. He gave the ball of fire a squeeze, simultaneously bringing Maya to her knees. She gasped for air, but it wouldn"t come. As her vision started to fade, she saw Jake"s black clothed figure towering over her. "Do not forget who owns you, slave." He spat as he kicked her in the stomach. Within seconds, everything went dark.

"Maya!" a voice called out from the darkness. "Maya what"s wrong? Wake up!" She continued hearing the panicked voice over and over. It took her a moment to realize who it was.

Will was standing over Maya with a look of concern. He had seen her black out once before, it was a sign that she was receiving orders from Jake. What he had never seen was her double over in pain from the encounter.

Will brushed a long strand of hair away from his friends face, light slowly coming back into her eyes. With effort, she sat up coughing up a mouthful of blood in the process.

"Jake isn"t too happy with what you"ve been doing." she said softly as she gathered her legs, sitting in a fetal position. "He wanted to ensure I knew who my master was."

Will gritted his teeth. The moment I can put that b.a.s.t.a.r.d in the ground can"t come soon enough. He thought as he held Maya close.

"He"s on to your plan now Will." Maya said regretfully. "If there"s anything you can do to stop me, please think of it fast." she looked up into his eyes, torture filled her expression. "If not, I have to kill everyone and then die myself.

Leo watched over his ever growing militia. From a large number of towns destroyed, they had gained an upwards of two hundred and fifty aura users. Though that was a large number so far, he still didn"t feel comfortable with his fighting force.

They had long since broken down into platoons, the large number was too much for him to train all at once.

He decided to put Roy in charge of training the platoon leaders, who were picked out from the rest of the members due to their affinities for the flame. Some learned faster than others and easily stood out amongst their peers.

Leo ensured that all was fair within the platoons by overseeing each training session. What he couldn"t get to, Bianca picked up the slack.

Leo noticed Bianca increasing in strength as much as the rest of them. She had been able to alter her aura to not only defend, but bring small blades to her palms for attack. She was now standing in too as one of the most powerful flame users present.

"Advisor Leo! We"ve got trouble!" Leo recognized the voice. It was one of the recruits he had picked out for security. Ben ran ahead of his older brother James, eager to report what was wrong.

"Slow down Ben, what did you see?" Leo eyed the young man carefully. Ben had a sense of urgency about him, which made Leo fear he knew exactly what he was going to say.

Ben took a couple breaths and looked at James who nodded towards Leo. "At first I thought it was just a storm on the horizon, dark clouds started forming from the North." he started as fast as he could. "I used my aura to increase my sight and saw that they weren"t clouds at all. A ma.s.sive army is growing close to the town, so many I"m not sure I could count them if I wanted to!" he finished with a deep breath.

Leo looked over at the five platoons who stopped training to find out what all the commotion was about. All two hundred and fifty trainees looked at him, waiting for guidance.

Leo sighed inwardly. "I guess we are out of time then." He said to himself as he centered himself on his largely populated company. "You have all trained as much as you could." he let his voice ring out over the silent crowd. "Unfortunately now is the time to act. The enemy will not give you any more time to prepare. We will go into battle and give everything we have in one hour. I"m sure we can push them back. Remember, burning within you is the same flame that burns within your Prince and your King." the faces of each and every man and woman lifted in pride. "Tonight you fight not only for freedom, but for your family! You fight for the Crimson Prince!" Not allowing even a moment before his next words. He summoned his sword and raised it in the air. "You fight for Crystallia!"

Hundreds of weapons raised with his The moment the last word left his mouth. The combined auras of two hundred and fifty crimson flames shot up in a pillar of light and parted the almost invisible clouds within the night sky. The hole in the sky spun as if a blazing inferno reached the heavens.

"It"s your move Jake." he said with a grin as he prepared his soldiers for war.

In the darkness which was forming in the horizon, Jake stood in in the front of a ma.s.sive formation. His obsidian sword glinting menacingly within the crimson light of the inferno he was facing. Wearing a smile only fit for a ma.s.s murderer about to go on a killing spree, he looked around at his forces. His dark cloak flapping as if living darkness surrounded him. His raven black hair did nothing to sully the appearance.

There were enough corrupt flame users present to give the appearance of him standing in front of an ocean of darkness. He didn"t need to give a pep talk to his puppets, most of which were there courtesy of Maya.

It only took a single thought to control the rotting bodies he called soldiers, yet their power more than made up for their looks.

"I"ll see you again soon William." He spoke softly to the crimson pillar.

Far beyond both forces, a dark portal opened in the woods out of sight of any curious onlookers.

Will stepped out of the dark door followed by Maya.

Standing on the gra.s.s matted floor, Will looked up at the sky. Darkness masked the stars, cloaking even the faintest of light on one side. The other was a bright red pillar. The red shined upon his black trench coat as it swayed in the faint wind. His kings emblem flared with the light almost as if it were on fire.

Will ensured his long brown hair was tied in a ponytail so the possibility of getting hair in his eyes while fighting wasn"t possible. His hazel eyes flared red at the sight of the ma.s.sive power before him.

He turned to Maya with a sorrowful look in his eyes. "Is there any way we won"t have to fight?" he didn"t want to have to cross swords with one of his greatest friends. He looked at Maya, she wore the same dress of darkness as she did a few weeks ago. Her long brown hair flowed in the wind. If it weren"t for the situation he knew they were in, he would say she was the most beautiful woman he could have imagined meeting. He would rather take her on a date than fight her in a war.

"You know the answer to that Will." She said quietly. He could see tears falling from her beautiful brown eyes as she tried not making eye contact.

He didn"t want to fight her. He couldn"t even bear the thought of raising a hand to his previous friend. The whole time he had spent with Maya during his first visit resurfaced. The times she had cooked for him, the time spent under the stars talking about his training. She was his lifeline to the world he had been thrusted into. Out of all the craziness he had gone through, she was the only thing that made sense.

"I"m going to find a way to save you Maya, after that I"m taking you to my world." Will smiled at the thought. "You haven"t experienced pizza until you go to New York."

Looking at the crimson pillar, he knew it was almost time. "We could get you some nice clothes at the mall, even go to a movie." He couldn"t help but chuckle at the thought of seeing the d.u.c.h.ess of darkness sitting through the avengers.

Maya smiled at the thought of a better life. "If you save me, I"ll never leave your side." she closed the gap between them. Standing an inch apart from him, she leaned in and gave him a pa.s.sionate kiss.

Will was taken by surprise. As her lips brushed his, they embraced each other, deepening the lock on each other. With her arms around him, he felt whole. All of the pain he had witnessed her endure came to the forefront of his mind. His aura burst forth on its own as they embraced. Maya"s aura came forth unwillingly, summoned by his flame. She held him as if he were an anchor, the only thing keeping her from floating away.

Suddenly, Will felt Maya"s aura melding with his own. Small tendrils of darkness seemed to swirl around the crimson and gold. It almost felt as if his need to stay with her had been enough to create yet another aura. The gold and crimson flame had brightened the dark flame only a little. If he focused on it, gold flecks almost like glitter outlined her darkness. The tendrils then formed a vacuum affect, swirling even faster before launching themselves into Will"s lineage cross. Will looked down at the pendant to notice a black obsidian gem right below his ruby.

"I don"t feel him anymore!" Maya"s eyes widened in surprise. "Will I don"t think I have to leave you now, I don"t feel Jake"s influence anymore!"

Maya let go of Will and backed up a few paces. The dark aura gave off the appearance of the midnight sky. The gold within almost made it look as though there were small gold stars surrounding her.

This is certainly something I haven"t seen before. The usually silent Cainus spoke up. We will study the effects of this phenomena later, though I could only think of one possibility.

Will shrugged off the old king. Now wasn"t the time to be thinking about how this happened, he was just grateful that it did. He knew Michael would be just as curious to see another gem added to his cross.

"Wanna get out of here? I"ve got some friends over there who have been dying to meet you." Will nodded in the direction of the crimson pillar with a smile. "I"m sure you wouldn"t mind the chance to get even with Jake, and I wouldn"t mind the company either." Will gave her a wink while his feet left the ground.

"I can agree to that." Maya said as she too left the ground. "He has a lot to answer for." her face went grim as she thought of the countless families she slaughtered in his name. "And I have a lot to atone for."

Together, they rode from the tree line, each bathed in their aura. "It wasn"t you who committed those atrocities, Jake used you as a puppet." Will knew a part of her felt responsible, he also knew it would take time to convince her of her innocence. "But if you feel responsible, help me set things right." Will held out a hand to Maya. "Help me bring this corruption to an end."

Nodding, Maya grasped his hand. She knew she wasn"t free yet. Her chains would remain so long as the one who bound her lived. As long as Jake breathed the breath of life, she would always be his captive.

Both Will and Maya steeled themselves as they flew over the wood line. Anyone who saw them would probably think they were a flare or something. Yet the problems yet to come didn"t seem to bother Will, he had Maya by his side once more after so long of being apart.

Flying to his friends he could only think of winning. He didn"t care about the superman references he could come up with while soaring through the sky. He couldn"t think about the warm gentle touch Maya"s hand had given him. His only thought was of the darkness behind him and the hope that lay ahead.