The Crimson Prince： Awakening

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 cla.s.s 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.

"I don"t think that"s a decision you can make." Jake said with a grin plastered on his face. "I just got this cool new toy," he spun it in his hand a few times to get the feel for it. "And it wouldn"t be nice for you to take off before I test it!" He roared as he stopped his blade to his rear. Where the blade stopped, a gale of wind blew backward towards the open field.

"Your credibility is lacking Jake." Will said as his sword glowed a pale white. "I think I can leave here with my friends whenever I feel like it." the sword shone through Jake"s dark storm as if it were the sun. It morphed within Will"s hand until he was holding a silver pole. The gems set neatly within and a gold chain wrapped around it. His scythe was almost a copy of Jake"s. The curved silver blade atop the pole was embroidered with gold and had no jagged edges. If Jake"s weapon was pure darkness, his was the embodiment of light.

When his weapon was completely formed, a gale of wind surrounded him. Though not visible, it blew through his hair and jacket lifting them slightly. Gold lightning flicked within the calm invisible storm.

Small flecks of lightning traveled down from Will"s new aura and danced upon the ground resting on Maya. For the second time in one day, it seemed like his gift was giving her just a small piece of life back. He looked down to see her face flush slightly at the presence of the gold light. He knew when she woke, her aura would have changed yet again.

Slowly Will"s feet lifted from the ground. He no longer had to worry about emitting enough flame to carry him through the air. His new aura had lifted him as easy as if he were just a leaf in the wind. He grabbed Maya before taking off into the open air.

Jake tried to slash at his brother before he was out of reach, but Will"s aura pushed him back hard enough for him to be knocked off of his feet.

Jake wasn"t finished. With just a glance at his army, they started their advance. "Let"s see if your new power is enough to stop a thousand man army!" He yelled as he jumped into the air and placed himself at the rear of his army.

Will could see his own army tense, preparing for their attack at his word. He saw Leo looking up at him for confirmation. He didn"t look even a little nervous.

Will smiled as he flew back to his friends. The look on Leo"s face was enough to know that he had faith in whatever Will was planning.

As Will finally entered the border into his own force, he looked at his men and then to the crimson and gold pillar looming behind him. He knew exactly what he had to do.

"Stand down guys," he said as he flew towards the storm of flames. "I got this one."

Leo smiled a half smile. He didn"t even look away from the enemy forces, but will knew he heard him say; "This is your war bro." Leo held up an arm and caught the unconscious Maya as his best friend flew past.

Will couldn"t help but return the smile while he flew past. He allowed himself to relax for what he knew he had to do.

In an instant, Will was inside the inferno. His new aura sent flashes of lightning within the pillar of flame. He turned to the enemy forces that were almost on top of them and raised his scythe.

"It"s time for us to take our leave brother!" his voice boomed out from the pillar. Anyone within a mile radius would have been able to hear him easily. "Let us leave in peace and I won"t retaliate!"

Everyone within Will"s forces had heard him call Jake his brother. Questioning mumbling could be heard below him which was quickly drowned out by the sound of laughter.

"None of you will be going anywhere little brother!" Will heard Jake say from behind his forces. "You will all fall before the night is through! You can"t just call off a war just because you don"t feel like fighting!"

"Don"t say I didn"t warn you." Will"s voice took on a menacing tone as the vortex of wind, flame and lightning funneled into his blade. The entire pillar was absorbed into his weapon in seconds.

Will slashed only one downward stroke with his scythe. His glowing blade unleaded a pure white blast flew from within it. The blast widened to cover the entire army racing towards them.

"s.h.i.t!" Will heard Jake yell before he opened a portal. "This isn"t over brother! No matter where you go, no matter how many allies you find! You are mine!" He yelled as he disappeared.

The white blast washed over Jake"s forces like a cleansing flood. Every enemy was wiped out before they even entered the border to Will"s army.

Will dropped to the ground in the middle of his forces. Though he had not been knocked unconscious by the effort he had to put into that one blast, he was exhausted. Before he could drop to his knees, Maya came up behind him and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Good job love, it looks like we raised the army for nothing after all." she said with a lighthearted chuckle. Will looked at her for a moment. Her aura was visible even though she hadn"t called on it. There were no longer flecks of gold within the darkness, instead there was a solid gold flame within it, almost like his own.

"Why do you have your aura out? The danger is over." he said tiredly.

Maya looked around her in confusion and sent a worried glance towards Will. "It"s not activated, I don"t see anything. Are you okay?"

Will returned her confused expression with his own. Looking around, he saw everyone"s auras as if they were still waiting for a fight.

"Its probably just an after effect from that much power coursing through me." he said thoughtfully. If he gave it a while, it would probably wear out.

"We didn"t make this Army for nothing, Maya." he said as he continues her earlier thoughts. "This is not our army, they are our people." He said with a half smile. "And this is far from over.