《A Wizard's Birth: Awakening》


 Prologue

    Another move, another city to start a new life. Though none of this was new to William Carter. It seemed that it was all he was used to these days. Moving three times a year to another city, more often than not it was another state. This time it was Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Will stopped caring as much after the fifth move. He didn¡¯t have time to make any real friends, or any time to truly get used to the place he was living in, so what was the point?


    Seeing a water tower in the distance, the name of his new destination clearly discernible, Will knew he would arrive at his new house soon.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to like this place more than the last, Will,¡± his dad called from the front seat. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of history here.¡±


    Will rolled his eyes. The only thing his father was interested in within the town was the hot springs. He watched as the solitary tower disappeared in the distance.


    His father, Jonathan Carter, was always in need of new inspiration, for his novels had brought Will on the longest road trip in his life. It seemed like they were always moving, finding new materials for his book, and then departing, never staying more than a few months between moves. Will knew he wouldn¡¯t truly have time to get to know any ¡°history¡± within the town. None of it will matter at the end of the year anyway, Will thought. He knew at least three colleges he wanted to go to and wouldn¡¯t allow his father¡¯s crazy road trip to stop him from applying. Soon he would actually have a say in where he wished to live.


    ¡°Will, I promise, this is our last move,¡± Jonathan said as if he sensed his son¡¯s mood. ¡°I know you¡¯ve had a lot of thought in what college you¡¯d like to go to.¡± Jonathan looked in the rearview mirror at Will for a moment. ¡°There really are lots of possibilities here, so don¡¯t be afraid to make friends either.¡±


    Will sighed. With all the moving they had been doing, the thought of college had always been fresh in his mind though every time he picked one out, they ended up leaving again. As for friends, Will only had one back in his hometown and only one girl he would ever call his girlfriend¡ªBianca Jean from Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The girl and the town his heart ached to return to every day for two years.


    Will had been a sophomore football quarterback at Tech High back in Minnesota. With his above average build, his long brown hair, decent tan, and deep hazel eyes, he stood out from the rest of his peers. Girls dreamed of being able to say they were in a relationship though there was only one in which would be true. He had met Bianca in middle school when she and her dad moved from Connecticut to the house next to him. They had always been good friends growing up though as time went on and they truly connected, they were inseparable. Will and Bianca would always walk to school together, do homework at Will¡¯s house, and then hit the town.


    Bianca wasn¡¯t the only one Will left behind. He thought of his best friend Leo. He was practically the brother he never had. In third grade, Will had been pretty much the school outcast. He either played on the swings when they were abandoned or sat on the soccer hill at his school just to watch the clouds in the sky. He had always been drawn in himself, finding solace only through his isolation. Leo had changed all of that one day when he saw Will on his hill and dragged him to the spring loaded rocking truck to play spaceship.


    Will smiled at the thought of how much he¡¯d been through back in Saint Cloud. All of the isolation, then to be saved by Leo, and ultimately leading up to meeting Bianca. Though Leo had always been an odd one, Bianca warmed up to him as a friend through all of their times hanging out. Their most favorite place in the world was Java Joint. All of the concerts they held at night as well as the pleasant atmosphere in the day time. It was a club and a coffee shop; it was also where Will brought Bianca to dance most of the time.


    The two friends of his were never without trouble though. Will remembered the times they had broken into newly built houses, looking around as if they were actually planning to purchase it in the future. Leo had always just liked to explore the places not meant to be explored; Bianca on the other hand, Will knew, was actually focused on the future.


    Will sighed as he thought of the past. Everything seemed as though it happened so long ago. Both of his true friends were still in contact with him even after two years of being away. Bianca treated her phone as if it was him, she could never truly give up on them. Leo, however, had grown distant though that wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. He had always been electronically savvy. If there was any information one would wish to attain, Leo was the one to get it for you. Though he was an amazing walking thesaurus, he ironically had people skills others might consider lacking. Every now and then, he would message Will out of the blue asking him how his whopper tasted while he was at Burger King or if he had fun at Walmart. Will always knew that ¡®big brother Leo¡¯ was watching.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Even with so much attention from his friends over the years, Will always felt as if he had suffered a great loss when he left. All of the plans he made with the two of them, the school he was meant to graduate from, and the fun times that were meant to be had all disappeared along with his mother two years ago.


    ¡°Hey, Dad, if you want to offer me something, maybe try food that¡¯s not fast for once?¡± Will asked in a hopeful tone. If he had to eat one more time at McDonald¡¯s, he was going to lose his mind.


    ¡°No can do kid, it¡¯s way too late to be cooking, and I think it would be better if we order out one more time,¡± his dad said with a small chuckle. ¡°Think of it as a celebratory number two for reaching the house.¡± Jonathan winked in the mirror.


    Will groaned. McDonald¡¯s was all they had to eat for the past week of travel; he didn¡¯t know how many more cheeseburgers his stomach could handle.


    What Will truly wanted was his mom¡¯s famous spaghetti she made from scratch or her chicken ala king. There were lots of things he¡¯d wish to have from her, but most of all, it would be to ask where she had been for the past few years.


    Isabella Crater was the most kind and caring mother on the face of the planet. Everything she did whether it is a smile or a frown had always been out of love. She cleaned, packed foods, and made amazing dinners without as much as a single complaint. Though she would also ensure Will sat at the table after such an amazing dinner until his homework was finished. If his room was a mess, she would make sure he knew. She was very caring and concerned. Anything anyone would expect from a model mother. Though not all of what he missed was cuisine or her concern, but also her movie nights on Fridays, their camping trips and nature walks, or just sitting in the family room spending time together. Isabella was the glue that held the family together.


    Two years ago, Isabella left Will at the house to go shopping. Usually she asked if he would like to come along, but that time she neglected to extend the offer. If that wasn¡¯t strange enough, she usually was back within an hour at most. When Jonathan returned home from work hours later and saw she was gone, he did nothing. No phone calls, no missing persons reports, he just packed up the house, and left the next day without so much as a glance back. They had been moving ever since.


    Will had always thought he should feel resentment toward his father. He had done nothing at all to try and find her. Though when Will thought of the look in Jonathan¡¯s eyes that day, he knew there was more to the story, an actual reason as to why she left. Will left the thought alone, knowing Jonathan would tell him one day. Maybe he actually knew where she went and when she was returning. The look in Jonathan¡¯s eyes that day made one thing clear to Will, it was better not to ask questions.


    Taking his mind off such depressing thoughts, Will turned his gaze to the window. What greeted him were the usual convenient stores one would find in a decent sized city, a massive amount of fast food joints, a few high-end grocery stores, some bookstores, and surprisingly a few video store outlets. Will sighed. It¡¯s like we never left, he thought as he remembered the last few places they moved to. It was always the same sized city, never bigger, never smaller, and almost exactly the same layout. Will was about to return his attention to his kindle when something else snagged his eyes to the window.


    An odd group of men walking in on what looked like a formation one would see in an army. A two-man front and someone on the side to guide them. What made them stand out wasn¡¯t necessarily their organization but more toward what they were wearing. It was a group of five; each one had a pitch black cloak hiding any identifying features. It was a somewhat windy night as Will and his father drove past. Will was able to see one of the cloaks sway with the trees, revealing a black hilted sword underneath. Not adorned at all but still unusual to see these days.


    ¡°They must be having a renaissance festival or something around this area,¡± Will muttered to himself. Who knew, maybe he would check it out if he got bored enough. Will and his girlfriend had always wanted to check out a festival one day. Maybe he would go take a selfie with a knight to make her jealous. He chuckled at the thought.


    Lost in thought, Will hadn¡¯t noticed that the car had come to a stop at a light. While they were waiting, he could have sworn one of the cloaked figures was staring at him. It was pretty late at night though, and any traffic could warrant a glance though what happened next raised warning signs in Will¡¯s head.


    As he noticed the cloaked figure staring at him, they all turned to face the car. Though they were thirty or so feet away, he could still feel a slight chill enter their heated car. Watching the figures while they watched him, Will was slightly disturbed when they started walking directly toward the car.


    They could just be crossing the street, Will thought as he tried to rationalize what he was seeing. Maybe the festival just ended, and they¡¯re on their way home. Satisfied with his observation, Will returned to his book.


    The light seemed to be broken for how long it was taking to turn. Will paid it no mind instead he focused on the book in front of him. The longer it took, the colder the car became. Feeling goose bumps raised on his arm, Will instinctively looked out the window. The five cloaked figures were almost to the car. There was no mistake and now he knew it, they were looking directly at him. With each step, they brought winter¡¯s chill with them.


    Finally, the light turned green, and Jonathan hit the gas just as the first of the cloaked figures reached the car. ¡°We¡¯re skipping dinner tonight,¡± he said to Will¡¯s surprise. ¡°I think it would be best just to get indoors and hit the sack.¡± Will noticed his dad tried to put on a cheerful voice though when he looked in the mirror, the man had the same serious look he had the night Will¡¯s mom disappeared.


    Will looked out the back window just in time to see the cloaked figures before Jonathan turned the corner. As they got further away, the chill within Will finally subsided.


    He would have thought the cloaked figures were just his imagination from all the traveling, but the look Will saw his father give wouldn¡¯t depart from his mind. There was that and the fact they were going forty-five in a thirty. Will kept his eyes glued to the window out of paranoia. He saw fewer businesses now, and it seemed like they were getting closer to the housing district. To distract himself from everything going on in his mind, Will decided it would be best if he just counted the street signs until they finally reached the house. He couldn¡¯t wait to finally be out of the car for the first time in a week.

 Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

    Within minutes, Will and his father finally arrived at their new home. The only true relief was not needed to be cramped in Jonathan''s Pontiac. As Will got out of the car, he took a long stretch. I hope he wasn''t joking about this being the last move. Will thought as he stretched his arms over his head. I don''t know how many more of these car rides I can take. Finally finished, he felt his muscles loosen up ever so slightly.


    By looking at the house, Will could tell it wasn''t just a fixer upper as he originally thought. This one was a two-car garage house with a decent sized lawn. Whistling to himself at how much the price must have come out to, Will couldn''t help but wonder how Jonathan was able to pay for it all. Taking his bag out of the car, he took one last look at the would-be mansion. Home sweet home, he thought sarcastically, knowing it was only a matter of time until he once again had to pack up his things.


    As they went to the upstairs front door, Jonathan took a key from his pocket. ¡°The first time unlocking the door to our new home,¡± he said as he had practically to all the other houses. ¡°Why don''t you do it this time, Will?¡±


    Will shrugged at his father¡¯s generosity. Oh boy, he thought. What an honor! Taking the key with a chuckle, he unlocked the door and opened it. Stepping inside, he took in the surroundings. The kitchen was directly in front of them attached to the dining room which the table had already taken up residence. To the right was a living space with a half wall separator blocking the doorway into a hallway. To the left after the small hall was another hallway leading to the downstairs living space. With three doors in the hallway, one was in the middle of the hall. Will had to guess that was the master¡¯s bedroom, another at the very end of the hall which was clearly a restroom, and one to the right which would be Jonathan''s office.


    ¡°The downstairs is completely yours, Will, though your room is already setup. If you want another room, we''ll have help with the movers again tomorrow,¡± Jonathan said. To anyone else, this would seem like a very reasonable arrangement, but Will didn''t care. Whichever room he took, he''d have to leave later anyway.


    ¡°I''m going to check out the room and also check out,¡± Will said with a nod to Jonathan. ¡°I''ll see you tomorrow.¡± Yawning, Will set down the keys on the ledge of the half wall.


    ¡°Make sure to sleep in,¡± Jonathan said with a concerned look. ¡°It''s been a long drive, and I know we could both use the comp time.¡± Will waved him good night while he took the hallway leading to his sanctuary.


    Taking the staircase leading downstairs, Will saw arrows on the wall with his name on them. He was used to the easy leading style setup by the movers after the first three times they moved. At the end of the stairs, a couch was a few paces away with an arrow for him to follow, each one bringing him closer to his room. ¡°I wish they would stop with the signs,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°I''m pretty sure I know how to find my own room, it''s the only one with stuff in it.¡± Will rolled his eyes as he took the hallway leading to his room.


    Arriving at the door after following the ridiculous arrows, Will found a welcome home sign with balloons around the door. Not bothering to take them off, he opened the door, showing him the exact bedroom layout as he had the last place. A bed in the corner, a desk and chair with a laptop already plugged in, a television at the foot of the bed on its own entertainment center, and a closet which all of his clothes had already been unpacked and hung up. Even his shoes were in the same order in which he left them lined up on the floor in the closet.


    With a sigh, Will took the only unused hanger and put his favorite leather jacket in the closet. Not caring about the rest of his clothes, he launched himself onto his bed. Finding the remote for the television under his pillow where he always left it, he turned on the news. If I''m going to live here, I should at least know some current events, he thought as the generic hot girl appeared on the screen.


    Though the girl in Will''s opinion was indeed picture perfect, it wasn''t what grabbed his attention. As of now, the reporter was at the scene of a huge house fire. Looking at the street at the bottom of the screen, he remembered it from the ones he had been counting on his way to the new house. The house was only a few blocks away from him now. He went to the window and looked out; sure enough he could see the orange glow where the fire was located.


    ¡°At this time, we can only speculate how this fire was started.¡± Will heard the reporter say. ¡°The fire department on scene has told us that a gas leak is out of the question due to the gas having been shut off just days ago.¡± Will couldn''t take his eyes away from the blaze on the screen. What else could it have been if not a gas leak? He thought as he watched the fire department hook up the hose to the truck.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Pumping gallons after gallons of water onto the burning house, it seemed as though nothing could stop the fire. Will watched three minutes of them constantly trying to fend off the flames. At the time, the firemen seemed to be at a loss as they saw any effort they put into fighting the fire wasn''t doing anything.


    Just as the house collapsed due to the relentless blaze, Will saw them. It was the same five black cloaked men he had seen earlier that night. They were walking straight out of the wreckage with their blades drawn as if they had just used them in battle. Did they cause this? He thought as he clutched the remote as if it were a weapon. He thought if they had nothing to do with the fire, why would they be there?


    Before Will was about to turn off the television, he sensed something was off. He watched the black cloak men came out of the fire though they never stopped walking. Each one of them, in perfect formation, was walking straight toward the camera crew. None of them made any sign or inclination that they could see the cloaks, they just continued reporting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It was as if the five figures didn''t even exist. Slowly making their way closer, each footstep pounding on the ground matched the rhythm of Will''s heartbeat pounding in his chest. With each step, Will felt the same chill he did when he saw them at the stoplight.


    As they grew closer, the chill increased and the flames seemed darker as if they were being strangled. Within moments, they looked as if they were about to walk straight through the television. Just as one of them put its hand out as if it was about to reach through the screen, Will slammed the power button and threw the remote to the far corner of the room.


    Just like before, the goose bumps went away the moment he couldn''t see the cloaks. Obviously it''s time for bed, Will thought as he tried to shrug off the experience as just being exhausted from the long car ride. Will sat up and grabbed a drink out of his travel bag. Oddly enough, caffeine had always helped him sleep. Once trying to beat into his head that he was hallucinating, Will laid back down in bed.


    Will waited for sleep to come, but for some reason, it was held off by the thought of the cloaks. If they were just hallucinations he got by his lack of good sleep lately, why would they show up at places further from him? Why was he not seeing them outside his door or at the foot of his bed? It almost felt as though they were searching for him. What could they possibly want with me? He thought to himself, I have only just gotten into town, what could they want with me?


    His thoughts were running a million miles an hour, the only thing actually occupying them was the black cloaks. Will groaned into his pillow, he needed to relax. They had not shown up anywhere in which they could actually reach him. ¡°They must not have been real,¡± he said, resigning himself to the thought so he could finally put himself to sleep.


    Finally getting a chance to close his eyes, the last thing he thought was ¡°welcome home,¡± with a sigh, and then he allowed the dark cloud of sleep to envelop him at last.


    Running for what seemed like forever, he stopped to catch his breath. His heart was pounding as if like the beat of a drum. His pursuers were just a mile back; the closer they got, the faster the drum played. He could still see them in the open, their black cloaks billowing in the desert heat and a glint of steel from the sun hitting their unsheathed swords.


    He figured he had a few minutes to gather his bearings before they got close, too close for comfort. He could only stay a few paces ahead of them. No matter how hard he pushed himself, he could never be rid of the nightmares at his heels. It seemed as though they were herding him somewhere, seeing as though they never truly caught up, but he knew they could if they truly wanted to. If he chose a different route, they would change their route as well in order to keep him going where they wanted. If he tried to thrown them off, they just split up to box him in. The only landmark he could see were snow capped mountains off in the distance. The more he walked, the closer they got. He didn''t know what else was out there; the desert was completely alien to him besides, he didn''t really want to find out what else could be in the wasteland. He already had the black cloaks to worry about.


    Looking back at the cloaks, he jumped out of surprise and fell to his backside. In front of him was a man in a black business suit and overcoat; he had a neatly trimmed goatee and fierce green eyes which peered down at him.


    All Will could do to avoid this man''s gaze was to look down. He felt a burning sense of guilt as though he couldn''t measure up to this man¡¯s expectations. As the eyes burned a hole in his skull, he wished for nothing more than to die where he sat. ¡°I''m not strong enough yet,¡± he said as his eyes stayed permanently glued to his feet. ¡°How am I supposed to defeat them?¡±


    he man just stared at the cowering boy on the ground, his face riddled with disgust. ¡°First, you get off your ass,¡± he barked as if he were a drill instructor. ¡°And then you get stronger!¡±


    As he tried to get up, to escape this man¡¯s gaze, a hand with an abnormally strong grip yanked him on his feet. Staring at this man, he didn''t know what to make of him; his appearance was completely off from what he had seen so far. Before he could ask anything, the man roared at him, at first he couldn''t hear him which was odd. Then the words came to him in a boom. ¡°WAKE UP, WILLIAM!¡±

 Chapter 2: The Man in the Business Suit

    Will woke with a start. His clothes were completely drenched in sweat. Jumping out of bed, he tried his best to lower his breathing. Going through some breathing exercises Jonathan taught him a long time ago, he timed each breath five seconds apart until his heart rate lowered back to normal. Looking out the window, Will saw the morning sun rising over the trees. It had to have been around nine o''clock in the morning by then.


    Having woken up in such a sweat, Will grabbed a new set of clothes before heading to the shower; he was long overdue for one since he just went to sleep last night instead of taking a quick rinse before bed. He couldn''t help how tired he was.


    Getting in the shower, his thoughts went to the odd black cloaked men he saw yesterday. It was one thing to see them outside and on television, but why was he now dreaming about them? Or the man in his dream that seemed to know him? This move was starting to get on Will''s nerves for more reasons than just moving.


    Finally clean, Will put on his clean white T-shirt and blue jeans as well as his black leather jacket from his room before heading upstairs. Reaching the kitchen, he saw Jonathan already at the table with his cup of coffee. ¡°Hey, bud, you sleep okay last night?¡± He said with a smile. ¡°I thought I heard screaming, another nightmare?¡±


    Will shrugged. It was an odd dream, but nothing too odd to have his dad worrying about it. ¡°Still no food in the house?¡± He asked hopefully. It had been so long since he had a home cooked meal, he''d almost forgotten what his favorite scrambled egg and cheese meal tasted.


    ¡±Sorry, Will,¡± Jonathan said with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°I only just got up, but I was planning on heading out in a minute to go shopping.¡± Jonathan took his cup of coffee to the kitchen sink. ¡°You could come with me if you want, it won''t take long.¡± He said looking back at Will.


    ¡°Actually I was planning on just going to McDonald''s for breakfast and taking the walk to familiarize myself with the town,¡± Will said as he headed toward the front door. ¡°Thanks for the offer though.¡±


    Will opened the door, looking back to see his father¡¯s disappointed face. Will knew he wanted to spend at least a little time with his son, but Will had to first get used to the idea of living somewhere other than home yet again.


    Shutting the door, Will headed down the stairs leading to the driveway and went to the street. In the morning time, Will could see the rows of trees on either side of him which their leaves were already turning orange due to the autumn weather setting in. As he walked, Will yet again familiarized himself with the street signs. Walking past the street which the fire happened, Will decided to take a quick detour from McDonald''s.


    Will stopped in front of the wreckage which was blocked by hazard tape. The house had been completely burned to a crisp. It was lucky no one lived in it. Ducking under the tape, Will decided to take a closer look. Going through what was supposed to be the door of the house, Will took a look inside the wreckage. Nothing was completely out of the ordinary; it seemed just like a normal fire. When he looked closer at the few standing walls, something was off.


    On the few walls left, there were what seemed to be slash marks through them. What was strange was not the slash marks, but the singed sides to them as if a flaming object was slashed at the wall.


    Seeing enough, Will left the wreckage to get back on the main street. He was interested in the accident, but at the same time, his stomach was screaming another idea at him.


    As he walked, Will remembered the black cloaked swordsmen he had seen on the street and then on the television. Though he had never seen them wielding any type of flame thrower or anything, Will couldn''t shake the feeling that they were involved.


    Turning back on to the main street, Will continued his walk to get his breakfast. It wasn''t too far away from where he lived if he remembered correctly, just around eight blocks away from the house. As he walked, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was being watched.


    Will sideways glanced past his shoulder to look behind him. Nothing too out of the ordinary, it was just him and one other traveler on the sidewalk. ¡°This is a city,¡± he thought as he kept walking. ¡°There are bound to be other people walking.¡±


    Though Will accepted the fact that there was yet another person walking the same direction as he was, he failed to get a good look at the one following. The man in the business suit backed off just a little more to stay out of sight. It wasn''t time yet for young William to meet him. He had to ensure the boy was in an isolated area before confronting him. If he did anything before then, the boy could easily run. The man sighed, ¡°There''s a time and place for everything,¡± he grumbled to himself.


    It took less time than Will thought to get to the restaurant, only around ten minutes even with his detour. Walking through the door of the restaurant, Will went straight for the counter. ¡°Hello, welcome to McDonald''s, what can I get for you?¡± asked a girl close to the age of Will.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°I''ll just take three sausage burritos with a medium drink please,¡± he replied to the girl. He was about to pay for his meal when he realized he forgot his wallet at home. Sighing, Will was about to cancel the order when a stranger came to the counter.


    ¡°Double what he''s getting and I''ll pay for it,¡± he said as he handed the cashier his own card.


    ¡°You didn''t have to do that, sir, but thanks I''m starving,¡± Will said with a smile as he turned to thank the one who helped him. The man was wearing a dark business suit with a black overcoat. He had his long hair in a ponytail and a trimmed up goatee. Will''s heart skipped a beat when he saw a pair of deep green eyes meeting his gaze. This can''t be real, he thought as he realized he was staring at the man he saw in his dream.


    ¡°Hello, William, would you bother to give me a moment of your time over breakfast?¡± The man said as he took the tray of food to the nearest table. ¡°If you indulge me with a moment of your time, I can tell you about the cloaked figures you''ve been seeing around you.¡±


    Will paused for a moment. Suddenly, the so-called hallucinations became much more real. ¡°They''re real?¡± He asked shortly. The man just patted on the seat next to him. Seeing he didn''t have much of a choice, Will joined the man for breakfast. Taking one of the burritos, the man smiled while looking at Will.


    ¡°You seem to be a bit older than I expected you to be,¡± he said as he unwrapped the burrito. His eyes shown with many stories waiting to be told.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡± Will was curious about this man he had only seen in his dreams. He intended to get some answers. ¡°Or do you always comment on someone''s age when you just meet them?¡± The man just chuckled at Will''s response.


    ¡°I believe what you truly want to know is of the black cloaks that have been following you since you got into town,¡± he said as he took a bite of his breakfast. ¡°We''ll get to the rest later.¡± There was a gleam in his eyes that almost looked like pride.


    ¡°I started seeing those cloaks yesterday when I got into town as you said,¡± Will started. ¡°Then I saw them again when I turned on the television to the news. There was a huge fire.¡± Now that Will thought about it, he also had a dream about them though he figured if he didn''t want to be thought of as insane, he would probably have to keep that to himself.


    ¡°That fire was unavoidable unfortunately,¡± the man said with a sigh. ¡°They were following your car, I had to confront them in order for you to get away, luckily Jonathan noticed them when he did.¡± Will froze. He remembered when he stopped at the wreckage; he saw the slash marks in the walls. So there was a fight there, he thought to himself. Will could only imagine the kind of fight that had to have taken place, he couldn''t even think of the weapons that could be used to start the fire and keep it going for as long as it did. It all seemed impossible.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Will said with a troubled look. ¡°How do you know my father''s name?¡± Growing suspicious of the man he was sharing a table with, Will narrowed his eyes, searching for the exits just in case he was in trouble.


    ¡°Relax, William,¡± the man said with a soothing voice. ¡°I served in the army with Jonathan years ago,¡± he stated plainly as he took another bite out of his food. Will was getting annoyed with the way he used his name, yet he had not introduced himself yet.


    ¡°Do you even have a name?¡± Will asked with a rather flippant tone. ¡°Or should I just call you creepy business man?¡± The man laughed as he set down the wrapper for another burrito.


    ¡°I do suppose it was rather rude of me to not introduce myself,¡± he said. ¡°Though you can''t blame me for not knowing when would be the best time. My name is Michael Devereux.¡±


    Will experimented with the name in his mind, thinking whether or not he had ever heard the name. Nothing really came up, but whenever he saw Michael''s eyes, he thought he might know the man. I''ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, he thought as he set down the wrapper for the last burrito. He did pay for my food after all, he can''t be that bad. For at least the moment, Michael had his undivided attention.


    ¡°Let me take a guess, William,¡± Michael started as he looked at the troubled man next to him. ¡°You saw those creatures while watching the fire on the television.¡± Will met the man¡¯s gaze, he hadn''t told him that part yet. He had only just met the man, but it did seem Michael knew much more about the cloaks than him.


    ¡°It seemed like they were trying to get to me through the screen,¡± Will said as a chill went through him. Michael nodded for him to continue. It seemed unavoidable to mention the dream; Will took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°Then I had a dream about them last night, it seemed like even there, they were trying to get to me.¡± He looked at Michael, expecting him to be on the phone with the hospital declaring the young man to be insane, but he just sat there nodding as if he understood.


    ¡°These creatures are not of this world William,¡± Michael said as if it were the obvious answer. ¡°They can sense you even through a television because you too are not of this world.¡± Michael looked at Will with a serious expression.


    What met this tense stare was a laughing Will. ¡°I''m sorry but you must have the wrong person, Michael,¡± Will said as he stopped laughing yet held a smile of amusement. ¡°I''m from Minnesota, the last time I checked people thought they were Canadians, not aliens.¡± Will couldn''t help but chuckle a little more about the accusation.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this is no laughing matter William, your father had contacted me the moment you arrived at your new home,¡± Michael said as he watched Will regain his composure. ¡°I have been following you since your mother disappeared and protecting you ever since.¡±


    ¡°So you knew my mother too?¡± Will was starting to get annoyed with the man. ¡°If that''s true, could you tell her she sucks for leaving us?¡± Michael hit a soft spot bringing up his mom, Will got irritated fairly fast. ¡°Thanks for the meal, Michael, but times up.¡± Will got up from his chair to leave.


    ¡°William, wait!¡± Michael called out as the door closed. ¡°It seems this will be more difficult than I thought,¡± he grumbled to himself as he brought the garbage to the trash.

 Chapter 3: Revelations

    Will didn''t know what to think of Michael. He seemed as though he had all the answers though some of them Will couldn''t accept. If he knew my mother, the least he could do is tell me where she went, he thought as he walked down the street. His mind was still trying to process everything he learned. This man was his protector, he knew Will¡¯s mother, and apparently the recently relocated troubled teenager was from another planet. If he wasn¡¯t in such a foul mood he probably would have laughed at the thought.


    Just the last of the conversation Will had with Michael stuck with him and opened up old wounds. She just left one day with no inclination of doing so, leaving Will and his father to worry about her. Will couldn''t help but think of her actions as selfish. She left no note, no indication as to why she had to leave, no clothes packed. One day, she just got in the car and left with no trace.


    Lost in his thoughts, Will continued his walk yet didn''t know where he was going. He couldn''t go home the way he was feeling, Jonathan would see right through him. In the end, he turned back to the street in which the burned house was. Staying outside the caution tape this time, Will stared at the wreckage. The amount of power needed to cause this much damage is crazy, he thought as he saw the slash marks on the walls. There was no way it could have been caused by anything less than a gas explosion. He couldn¡¯t believe even for an instant that someone just fighting could do such damage.


    Will was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn''t even realize he wasn''t alone anymore. Five black cloaked figures had arrived just feet behind him. The hair on Will''s neck stood on end as he felt he was being watched. A chill set in quickly as he turned around.


    All five of the swordsmen had weapons in hand; an icy aura surrounded them as though winter itself came early. Slowly, they walked toward Will, each step making the chill set in even stronger. Will could almost see his breath which was coming rapidly as he watched the approach. He wanted to run, to escape. He made an attempt to flee yet his legs wouldn''t move. Will looked down in shock, his feet felt numb as if asleep. The pin prickles stung the bottom of his feet.


    ¡°I think it''s time you stand behind me, William.¡± A familiar voice rang out from behind him. Will couldn''t turn around, but he could feel Michael''s presence. A sort of heat surrounded him, giving him strength to move once again. It felt as if Will had a fire surrounding him. Looking back at Michael, he saw the usual business man. His hands were in the pockets of his long coat and when Will looked at his eyes, he saw danger.


    Finally able to move, Will moved behind Michael. Feeling the pressure in which Michael was emitting, Will knew this man was no ordinary person.


    Michael took one hand out of his pocket. Will could see he was holding something but couldn''t get a good look at it. Suddenly to Will''s shock, the businessman''s hand was engulfed in flame. It didn''t seem to bother Michael as the flame grew larger in size, forming feet in front of him.


    ¡°I assure you that you are not going crazy William,¡± Michael said as the flame stopped growing and instead formed into a flaming blade. ¡°This is the strength of someone from another world, now if you''ll kindly stay behind me and find cover,¡± he pointed the large blade at the hooded figures. ¡°I''ll take care of our friends there,¡± he said with a calm smile.


    Will stared at the man¡¯s sword that had been born from flame. It had a decent length to it, nothing noteworthy besides the orange jewel at the end of the pommel and the fact that it had just been made of flame of course. If Will wasn''t going crazy, he wondered if Michael may have put something in his drink.


    The five cloaked men stopped in front of Michael. From the look of their stance, Will had to guess they were used to taking the defense when it came to their fights with him. Without warning, Michael launched himself into the group.


    For the next few minutes, Will was staring at a blur of fire and frost; both parties were far too fast to see. The ground shook from the amount of power condensed in a single point. Will watched as the fire slowly overcame the frost before both parties were visible again. The wraiths had been knocked back, slightly wounded but nothing that would send Will the relief he needed.


    Will stared at the drenched in sweat Michael who turned toward him, also looking slightly banged up. His overcoat had been torn slightly, and Will could see small cuts on his pant legs with a small hardly noticeable stream of blood going down into his shoes. ¡°I think it''s time to leave before our friends here get their footing back,¡± he said as he walked over to Will. The only thing he could do was nod. They both turned away from the cloaks and ran as if the underworld was on their tail.


    They ran for a good ten minutes before stopping at a park to catch their breath. Will hadn''t ran so fast since his games back in Minnesota. He had to even out his breathing and get the sweat out of his eyes as he stared at Michael. Aside from the sweat from his fight, he was perfectly fine as if the run didn''t even affect him. Will had to wonder exactly what kind of training the business man could have had, not even the army could have given him that much stamina.


    Will walked over to a bench at the park and sat down for a minute. ¡°What you said about them has to be true as well as you,¡± he said between gasps of air. ¡°I''ve never seen anything like that fight aside from movies.¡± Michael just nodded to Will, he didn''t know yet what the younger man''s next move was going to be. ¡°But you are wrong about me, you have to know that,¡± he said, almost pleading with the older man.


    ¡°William Carter,¡± Michael said with a smile on his face. ¡°Your dad is Jonathan Carter and your mother is Isabella. You are almost eighteen years old now.¡± He continued after gauging Will''s reaction.


    That can''t be, he thought as he searched his mind just one more time for this man. How could he know so much about him and not know who he was? He couldn''t place the face, but he felt like he knew him from somewhere. ¡°Who exactly are you, Michael?¡± he said in a weak voice, not really trusting his strength.


    ¡°I''m your protector, William. I thought I made that clear during my battle with the wraiths just a few moments ago.¡± Michael raised an eyebrow as if everything was already obvious. ¡°I''ve been protecting you for quite some time now, I''m really sorry I had to keep my distance, but it''s been nice seeing you grow.¡± Will couldn''t trust what he was hearing. He had never seen this man before, he had never even heard of him. He has to be wrong about me, he thought as he stared at his feet.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°There was another part of that dream that I didn''t tell you about,¡± Will said slowly. Michael raised an eyebrow once again, clearly intrigued. ¡°You were in it as well. I was telling you I wasn''t strong enough yet.¡± Will continued; the more he said, the faster it came out.


    ¡°And then I told you to get off your ass and train,¡± he said with a smirk, ¡°then I told you to wake up.¡± Michael finished the dream only to find Will staring open mouthed at him. ¡°You don''t think I''m just protecting you in your waking hours do you?¡± He said with a sad smile. ¡°They want you so badly. They would even cross into the dream realm to get to you.¡±


    ¡°The truth is, William,¡± Michael sighed as he relaxed on the bench with Will. ¡°You do need to get stronger, there''s something only you can do and a lot of people wanting you to do it.¡± Folding his hands on his lap, Will saw he wasn''t done speaking yet. ¡°I have to get you ready, to train you, and we can''t do that in this world. Don''t worry, Jonathan already knows what you have to do.¡± He finished and waited for Will to respond.


    ¡°You want me to leave everything I know and come with you, someone I have never met before, with only your word that my father knows,¡± Will said, clearly hoping his so-called uncle knew exactly how crazy it sounded.


    ¡°You saw that fight, William,¡± he said as he reached in his pocket and summoned his sword. ¡°You see my weapon.¡± He quickly retracted it and put it back in his pocket. ¡°And you understand that there are other worlds.¡± Michael was obviously confused. ¡°What else is there that you need to see in order to understand the situation you''re in?¡±


    Will had to admit a lot of what Michael said was true. The fight had been crazy to watch let alone be near. His weapon truly wasn''t anything in which Will had ever seen before in his life. But the one thing that wouldn''t make sense to him was the fact that he was from another planet. Why couldn''t he defy gravity or shoot lasers from his eyes, and when Bianca pinched him it always hurt. Nothing about him was out of the ordinary to even assume he wasn''t from Earth. Will quickly shook the thought out of his mind.


    ¡°You make a very compelling argument, Michael, but I can''t believe you,¡± Will said with finality. ¡°I only remember my life here and even with the thought being completely awesome, I can''t be from another world. I''ve only experienced this life.¡± Will nodded to himself as to forcibly believe what he was saying.


    ¡°One second, William,¡± Michael said as he took a phone from his pocket. Dialing a number, Michael put the phone to his ear. ¡°He doesn''t believe me,¡± were his only words before hanging up the phone and replacing it in his pocket.


    Moments later, Jonathan was walking across the field to the park. Will just stared, not believing his eyes. Why would he be here? he thought as Michael got up from the bench and put a hand on Jonathan''s shoulder. ¡°It''s good to see you again, Jonathan,¡± was all Michael said as he went a ways away to allow the two to talk.


    Sitting down on the bench, Jonathan stared straight forward with the exact expression he had on his face the moment his wife left. ¡°Everything he has told you is true, William,¡± Jonathan said, stumbling with the last word. Will was shocked for two reasons. His dad had never once called him by his whole name, not even when Will got in trouble. The second reason was his dad just confirmed everything Michael said which meant he knew everything from the beginning.


    Will got up from the bench staring his dad in the eye the whole time. ¡°You knew this entire time and you didn''t tell me?¡± Will asked, his temper rising with every word that left his mouth. ¡°Couldn''t you have possibly told me earlier? Didn''t you even think I had a right to know?¡± He was over his breaking point; he could feel the heat rising throughout his body.


    ¡°If I told you any of this before, would you have believed me, William?" Jonathan asked as he continued staring straight forward, not daring to look at Will. ¡°If you knew anything and actually believed it, would Michael have been able to protect you?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Will sneered. ¡°What''s done is done and apparently you couldn''t do better in letting your own son know what he was.¡± Will walked over to Michael, he couldn''t hide his anger. ¡°Fine, Michael, you win, when do we leave?¡±


    Michael stared at Will for a minute, a look of disgust clearly evident on his face. ¡°After everything that man over there has done for you, this is how you are going to leave him?¡± He said in a dangerous tone. ¡°Wars were nothing compared to keeping you safe, and you are just going to leave and not look back? You aren''t worthy of the name Carter.¡± Will looked at his protector in shock; the man had been nothing but respectful up until now. When he looked back at Jonathan, the man looked utterly defeated as he walked back to his car.


    All the years that Jonathan had been there for him raced to Will''s mind. Jonathan had tried his best to be both mother and father for him when Isabella left; Will could only imagine how his father felt. He couldn''t leave things the way they were if there was even a chance he wasn''t going to see him again. Will raced to the car before Jonathan could get in it. ¡°I know what you did and what you had to give up, Dad,¡± Will said, not trusting his voice. ¡°I just want you to know I''m glad for all of it.¡±


    Jonathan''s eyes suddenly tear up, he couldn''t speak right away. Instead, he took something from around his neck and put it around Will''s. Then he took a necklace with a cross pendant and also put it around his son''s neck. ¡°Never take these off, Will,¡± he said slowly, his voice was scratchy as he talked. ¡°These will protect you no matter where you go.¡± Will looked at his dad, tears flowing freely in his eyes. ¡°Take care of yourself, Will, and listen to your Michael.¡±


    With those last few words, Jonathan got in his car and drove off. Will watched the car go until it turned the corner. When it was completely out of sight, Will looked down to see his father''s dog tags and the cross hanging from his neck.


    On the ground was a black leather bag, much like the same material his jacket was made from. Picking it up, Will realized Jonathan had left it there for him. It didn''t surprise him seeing as though since he was a kid, he had always had a survival bag prepared by his dad as a just in case bag. It usually contained some sort of food, a change of clothes, and a toothbrush. Will held the bag, thinking of all he had said to Jonathan and hoping that it could all be forgotten.


    Putting the bag on his back, Will turned to Michael. ¡°So what''s next?¡± He said with a determined look.


    ¡°Now we go back to your house and from there, to your first training ground,¡± Michael said as he started walking. Will followed a few feet behind him. So much had changed within a day; it was hard for him to think straight.


    Will and Michael arrived at the house in a matter of minutes. As he looked in the garage, as expected, his father''s car wasn''t there. It would have been nice to say good-bye before leaving, he thought to himself as he followed Michael downstairs. He didn''t know where his protector was planning to go seeing as though he''d already scouted out the entire house, and nothing looked like a portal to another world to him.


    ¡°We''re here,¡± Michael said as he stopped in the middle of the hallway. Will looked in confusion as he saw the man put his hand on the wall in front of him and orange flame erupted from it and black obsidian looking door appeared in front of him. ¡°No matter what you do, when you enter this door, do not look around. Just stare straight forward until you get there.¡± Will nodded, still processing the fact that a door just appeared out of nowhere, he stepped forward.


    As Michael opened the door, Will went through. Best not to think about what can''t be explained at this point, he thought with a shrug as he took a plunge into the darkness.

 Chapter 4: The Desert World

    Darkness. All that surrounded Will was blackness that wouldn''t lift for what seemed like an eternity. He had no difference in sight whether he shut his eyes or opened them, but the whole time he did what Michael had said and kept his head forward staring into the abyss. There was no sense of time, and even when Will tried to move a finger, it seemed as though he was paralyzed. He couldn''t move a single finger let alone his head to take a better look around.


    For what seemed like hours, there was nothing. But then Will felt a drop of water land on his head. He didn''t know what to think at the time seeing as though any new sensation within this abyss was a clue that he had almost made it. One drop led to two, and suddenly Will was enveloped by a storm. Noticing flashes in the darkness, Will noticed his eyes were closed. Being in the darkness for so long, he stopped thinking about seeing into it and shutting his eyes.


    When he finally opened his eyes and took a look around, he was astonished at the sight. He was in the middle of what looked like a desert. Nothing around for miles besides a mountain. The same mountain he had seen in his dream. Realizing this, Will quickly turned around. Nothing was behind him.


    With a sigh of relief, Will realized he was worried about the black figures following him. Seeing that he was alone, he was both relieved and worried. If he was alone, how was he supposed to meet up with Michael?


    The mountain in his dream symbolized hope as he was racing to get there before the cloaked men caught up to him. So Will decided that this was his landmark. The place in which held his salvation. He didn''t know exactly why he thought this but every time he looked upon it, it felt like a calming sensation had enveloped him. It felt like the mountain was pulling him to it. Will looked around to see absolutely nothing else in the distance.


    Will walked for a few hours just to judge the distance between him and his landmark. No matter how far he walked, the mountain seemed to stay the same distance. Seeing as though it was a straight shot there, with no shelter and Will was beginning to get hungry, he stopped.


    Taking the bag off of his back, Will looked inside. Just as he did, his eyes grew big. Inside was completely black as black as the abyss from which he came. Carefully, Will put his hand in the bag expecting to feel something in which might be useful. He furrowed his brow, the bag was completely empty. He couldn''t even touch the bottom of it for some reason. Will looked around the area, hoping to find a cave or at least some wood he may be able to use for a fire. With no such luck, he stood in the rain staring at the bag. If this keeps up, I''ll die of hypothermia before I ever meet up with Michael, Will thought as he stared at the blackness from within the bag.


    Jonathan had left the bag near his car as he left for the final time. Will could only hope that it had everything he needed. His father had always been one to pack everything in case of any situation. The bag was completely empty. Just standing in the rain without any kind of protection was completely demoralizing, he felt completely idiotic having his hand in the bag while being soaked by the storm. You couldn''t even pack me a raincoat? Will thought with a slight annoyance though in the span it took for him to think, a light fabric brushed his hand. Pulling it out, Will was astonished to see his father''s weathered poncho from his army days.


    Seeing the waterproof garment brought a smile to Will''s eyes. This was a proof that his dad really was looking out for him. He sent a silent thank you to his father knowing of course he couldn''t hear him; he turned his attention back to the bag. Placing his hand in the bag once more, Will searched around the inside. From what he could tell the bag was completely empty, but if that were true where did the poncho come from?


    All he could think was maybe the bag was enchanted in some way. Will was embarrassed by the thought but looking back on the fight Michael had with the wraiths, he couldn''t leave any options out. When he wanted something to use for cover, the poncho appeared. Maybe it''s enchanted to respond to my thoughts? Will guessed while staring at the black leather bag.


    Will decided to do some tests on the bag. Canteen, he thought and suddenly there was a plastic container in his hand when he pulled it out. ¡°So the bag responds to a person''s thoughts?¡± Will said aloud partially because he was alone and even the sound of his own voice comforted him though it was nice to confirm his thoughts. He summoned up a list of items in which he needed. Wet weather gear which consisted of a raincoat and a pair of rain trousers, a two set of sleeping bags which consisted of warm cottony one and one waterproof liner. He also summoned up a sleeping pad. Taking a look at the canteen, it wasn''t filled with water.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Will summoned up more canteens until he reached a total of ten but when he tried for an eleventh, nothing happened. ¡°So there is a limit to what I can get,¡± Will said as he unscrewed all the lids. Using the poncho, Will made a funnel and allowed the rain to funnel into each canteen. The process took quite a bit of time. After what seemed like hours, Will had ten full canteens.


    Thinking of the stories Jonathan used to tell him about his army days and the gear he used while deployed, Will guessed that it would only give him what he needed. Ten canteens would be more than enough to keep him hydrated for at least a few days.


    Getting drenched by the rain, Will decided to put his wet weather gear on. He was about to take off his leather jacket when a hint of sentimentality hit him. I may as well keep something on to remind me where I came from, he thought as he reconsidered taking it off. Instead, he put the waterproof jacket over his own and zipped it up. It''ll be a little warm later, Will thought, but right now I''m drenched, and I don''t have any other way to keep warm.


    Will thought about how warm it had been before he left; the sun was high in the sky. He thought of a camp fire, a sauna, a hot tub, any kind of warming thought he had. He was in desperate need of one of those things. All he could think of was heat. If he could only feel the warmth of a fire around him, maybe he could make it through the night.


    He thought so intently on the warmth, he almost felt it. The heat rolling off his skin starting from his chest and working its way around his entire body. It was like a living fire was spreading around his body. Will instantly opened his eyes in surprise. He wasn''t almost feeling this warmth, he was! Somehow his intense thoughts toward getting warm had unlocked something within him.


    The warmth that had been summoned out of nowhere slowly dried his clothes within minutes. Will was dumbfounded by this strange phenomenon as the heat didn''t even dissipate; instead it turned into a dull wave within his body almost like a space heater would do, only ten times stronger. Will tested the new sensation by taking off his poncho. Instead of getting drenched, he could see where the rain evaporated just an inch before it touched his skin, his jacket stayed warm and his white T-shirt didn''t get a drop of rain on it. Will looked down in wonder when he was witnessing something that could only be magic.


    No real time to dwell on what I can''t explain, Will thought for the second time in a day and began to pack up the items in which he summoned. As he put all the items back excluding a canteen, he hooked it to his belt loop. He didn''t need the wet weather gear any longer due to the new heat aura he had somehow unlocked. Will decided to test one more thing; he put his hand back in the bag and summoned a canteen. Noticing the weight of the container, he could tell it was still full of water. Putting it back in a pouch, Will closed the bag and slung it on his back once more.


    Not really having to worry about rain getting in his eyes anymore, Will prepared himself once more for the journey. He knew it would take a while to get to the mountains but just staying in one place wasn''t an option. If he didn''t move forward, he wouldn''t get out of the wasteland. There was no television reporter to tell him when the rain would stop, or when it would start up again so he had to guess he only had enough water to last him until he reached the mountain.


    With the heat roiling within his jacket, Will put another foot down in the new world and continued to the mountain. This time was a little different as he trekked through the desert. This time he knew he wasn''t alone as his father had thought enough to entrust this bag to him, a bag that indeed did have all the provisions he needed. He had been trained by Jonathan in the way of survival since a very young age.


    Will could only cringe when he thought of everything Jonathan put him through. The physical and mental training he had endured for the two years they were alone. He could remember the camping trips in which he would have to fend for himself, the nights with no tent and just a waterproof sleeping bag, or the mountain climbing. He had been put through his own personal boot camp. Will groaned; if anything his father had prepared him for, it is the exact moment he was party to. It was as if Jonathan knew that one day he would be taking this journey.


    If there was one thing the desert was good for, it was allowing Will to reflect on his life as he continued to the mountain. Foot after foot, looking around and seeing nothing but sand aside from his obvious landmark.


    Thinking back, Will knew that he had started his training within a week after his mother left. Jonathan had to know at least a little about what he was to go through. He had often thought that maybe it was just a way for his father to cope with Isabella being gone.


    With a look of determination, Will continued on his journey. He had no idea what lay ahead, but to him it would be better to take it head-on rather than to stay and wait. With each step, he became closer to the mountain. Just like in the dream, he had to reach the landmark. Michael wasn''t around this time to give him a pep talk or to train him; he had to get through this himself. If he couldn''t survive, how could he possibly survive his stay in this new world? Will steeled himself for the future, he had to get past this one obstacle if he wanted to be worthy of his father¡¯s training. If he couldn''t get through this, then what exactly had he endured for the past two years?


    Walking the path only he could see in front of him, Will continued straight forward toward the mountains. He didn''t know what was on the other side but if he''d have to guess, it would have to be better than the desolated wasteland he had arrived in.

 Chapter 5: Survival

    As the days wore on, Will''s determined pace had become somewhat lacking. His usual upbeat stride had become sluggish. As he looked forward, it seemed as if the mountain was moving back as far as he was walking toward it. As if there was no distance covered toward it. ¡°Maybe it''s just an illusion,¡± Will thought out loud as he continued his path. ¡°If it wasn''t, I''d probably be there by now.¡± But Will also thought of the mirages some people get when traveling the desert. If the heat was bad enough, things further out could seem closer. A feeling of agitation crept into Will, he should have been to the mountains at least by then.


    The first day that Will had gotten to the new world, the rain storm that had been such a curse to him became a blessing in disguise. That day was the only one in which the rain came. It had been three days so far, and Will had been using his water sparingly. One canteen a day was what he had limited himself to. Luckily for him, the water in the bag didn''t heat up or evaporate. Will had learned the hard way that carrying a canteen on his belt loop wasn''t smart seeing as though he would only get half the bottle due to the heat if the container didn''t melt with time of exposure. Will had also noticed that even if it was tortuously hot, his aura didn''t overheat him even as he walked in such excruciating heat.


    The first day was also the day he decided his travel plans. When the rain stopped, the unbearable heat crept in during the daytime to the point where Will summoned a shovel from the bag with a pack of sand bags as well. When the night seemed to have been giving way to the new day, Will took advantage of the few hours of darkness left and dug a foxhole. Something Jonathan had taught him at the age of thirteen as a punishment. He dug out the hole and with the excess sand, he filled up the bags and formed walls. He put the poncho up as a roof with four sandbags holding it down. Will had to ensure there were no cracks in the walls, or all of the cool air would turn hot fast.


    Will would sleep during the day in his makeshift traveling home, the sun still bothered him a little with the limited shade, but he really had no room to complain. He would take a dreamless sleep under the sun rather than a cool night of sleep to wake up to the desert heat. When the sun set, he would pack up the sandbags and other supplies he''d used and keep walking. For food, it seemed like he had an unlimited supply of jerky though the taste he''d found was somewhat lacking, it was enough to survive on. Now the McDonald''s he''d survived on for the week of travel to Colorado seemed like a feast in his mind. Even more so would he think of his mother''s cooking though the McDonald''s would probably be more realistic.


    Now at the third day and at the end of his wits, Will cast a hateful glare at the ever present yet not even close mountain in front of him. He was tired of being thirsty, of being hot, and tired of being alone. He had long past gotten tired of talking to himself, and it felt like he was building a schizophrenic personality; he would ask himself questions and expect answers. Somewhat worried about his behavior, he was more content walking in silence after having an argument of who would get the first cheeseburger, him or himself. He was tired of the solitude so much that he threw the leather bag and dropped to the ground, lying under unfamiliar stars. Staring up, he relaxed slightly and decided to take out his phone.


    Of course he already knew there was no cell phone service on a different plain, but it had been days since he had used it and the seventy-five percent battery life was still at around seventy due to his predetermined idea to conserve battery life by turning it off. Luckily for him, the bag seemed to have a cool surface at the bottom; Will knew that heat exposure was bad for any electronic device. Looking at the phone now, Will didn''t even notice that Bianca sent him a message before he had left for the desolate wasteland he was now stomping through.


    Turning the phone on just for a minute on the dim screen option to save power, Will opened the message. It was a picture of her in a light blue dress standing in a field of sunflowers; the dark screen gave her no justice. The sight of her and the season warmed his heart. Bianca was more of a tomboy, she never wore such things as dresses when tank tops and a blue pair of jeans did just the same. She had only worn the dress because Will had asked her to; it seemed like a reasonable request seeing as though he couldn''t see her in person. He would always ask her to wear a dress, but Bianca would insist that he''d love her regardless of what she wore. What annoyed him the most was the fact she was right. He wanted to keep the phone on longer, to see her smiling face standing under a blue sky with nothing but life at her feet, but knowing that he had to save the power he had in the phone for an extended time, he turned it off. I don''t think this desert has any outlets, Will smirked at the thought.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Deciding to take a break, Will took out a bag of jerky and a canteen of water. He had been walking for hours so far, and it didn''t seem like he was going to get there anytime soon anyway. As he lay under the stars, he opened the bag of jerky and took out a strip. After staring at it for a moment, disgust clearly lining his features, he took a bite of the strip, his thoughts drifted to home. Was his dad alright? When was Michael going to show up? He thought about his new home and what possibilities he had left for the sake of finding his mother. She could have just come here to disappear, he thought as he took a swig of water, careful not to miss a drop. A distant chance only riding upon Michael showing up to finally gets him out of the desert. Will couldn''t shake the feeling that there was a reason why he was there in the first place.


    The bag of jerky was now empty; Will took another swig of the water and put it back in the bag. Getting up, Will stretched his sore muscles. It felt as if he had just run five marathons consecutively. As his stomach was now somewhat content with what it had been given besides all of the sodium in which his body was building up, it had given him an acidy feeling in his stomach that he had to wash down with water. Will continued his long walk to civilization with a hope of food that didn''t come from a bag.


    As he had been walking for three days now, Will had noticed that he had lost weight and built just a small amount more of muscle. It wasn''t too hard to imagine since he had walked ten hours a day and slept under the sun, sweating mostly while sleeping as well as his jerky diet. His appearance didn''t much matter to him though; the only thing that truly mattered was what foot went in front of the other as he continued his march.


    The desert itself had no occupants which slightly amused Will. Within days of walking, he didn''t even have buzzards circling his head waiting for him to drop from fatigue. Not even a snake to be wary of. ¡°What kind of desert has absolutely no wildlife?¡± He thought aloud as he trekked on. It wasn''t just the wildlife that was missing either, there was no vegetation at all, and not even a cactus off in the distance in any route he had seen. It was as if things just went to the desert to die. The journey in which he had no companionship felt alien to Will. In any place he had ever gone to, his constant companion was Jonathan. Unfortunately, fate had told him it wasn''t going to be the case this time around.


    The sky started lighting up once more for the fourth time since he had come to the desert, and Will was not interested in getting burnt anymore than he had been. Setting up a camp had become something easy to him over the few days he had been needed to do it. Digging the trench had become basic muscle memory as Will took out the shovel and got to work. What normally took him hours to do before only take less than one now. Will setup the poncho to his makeshift home with a slight drop of the canvas; underneath the drop was an empty canteen in order to capture the moisture from the rising sun before it turned hot. Will usually refilled an eight of a canteen just by moisture alone each day which increased his chances of surviving longer.


    Finished with the camp early, Will decided to do a few workout routines since he had been slacking ever since leaving. He set out his sleep mat outside and started with some push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches at least five sets of twenty each. Will knew he couldn''t overexert himself because of the heat that was coming. He worked himself hard enough for a deep sheen of sweat to emit from his skin. The one thing he could be happy about in his arrangement was the amount of exercise he was getting in such a short time. With the walking he had done, he had carved off any extra fat he had; now looking at himself, he have a flat stomach and his abs were starting to show.


    Satisfied with just an hour¡¯s worth of working out, he crawled into his small home and got ready to sleep. This is what Will''s life had consisted of for almost four days after leaving home. Not having enough time to miss his life, Will just did what he could to make it in this land, slowly getting stronger, slowly becoming used to this new routine. The more he did, the less he thought of home, and the distraction was much better than just walking with home on his back. As Will shut his eyes, his body was completely shot as he hit his sleeping bag. He had long since decided to not sleep in the bag due to the heat which was ever present in his dreamless sleep. As he unwound, his thoughts of home swam under his eyelids; the last thing he thought of was Bianca. He wondered how she was, what she was doing, if she was thinking about him as well. His mind went to the picture of her in her blue dress; he pictured himself holding her in the photo, and that was the last thing that went through his mind before he drifted off into the darkness.


    As Will drifted off into a deep sleep for the day, Michael watched from just a short distance away. Having seen him setup a camp without even a hint of displeasure and working out after the work he put into his camp as well as gathering whatever resources he could to help him later, Michael couldn''t help but smile. ¡°I think it''s time to bring you out of this nightmare.¡± A darkness to match Will''s dreamless slumber set around the young man, unknowingly swallowing him and all of his possessions.

 Chapter 6: Injustice

    His eyes still closed, slowly coming out of his deep sleep, Will turned to his side. His hand brushed lightly on the soft grass as he decided if he should wake up or grab a few more hours. The sun was out as he could see the red tint through his eyelids, but he could also see the shadows of the branches swaying above him, offering him a nice shade. He didn''t feel anxious at all to wake in such nice weather.


    Grass? Will thought as his mind slowly registered the abnormality softly brushing his hand. He finally opened his eyes which went wide with shock as he noticed where he was. Somehow everything around him shifted from a desolated wasteland to a paradise.


    Looking around, the only thing he saw was lush green grass and twenty foot trees as far as he could see. He still had his sleeping mat setup, but everything else was nowhere in sight though his black bag was sealed leaning against the tree next to where he was sleeping. Will swore he could hear running water in the distance as well; suddenly, his attitude changed from hopeless acceptance to praying to whatever brought him there.


    Taking in the change of scenery, Will questioned if that never ending desert was just a dream, the mountainside was always looming at a distance. But as he got up, stretching his sore muscles, he realized everything truly did happen. He was still sore from all the walking as well as the working out he did. If that wasn''t a dream, how did I get here? Will thought to himself. Maybe he had gotten to the mountain after all and just didn''t remember? Any explanation he thought up just didn''t fit.


    Packing up his sleeping mat and his extra canteen, Will could have sworn he heard running water. With all of the grime he had from the desert, he was eager to follow the sound and hope for the best. He had to fill up his supply of water as well; having four canteens empty didn''t seem like too big of a deal, but he didn''t know when he would find the next water source. Will didn''t feel the need to push his luck.


    Following the sound of water, Will walked for around five minutes before a lake appeared. Not even worried about his clothes, Will threw himself into the lake with a howl of pleasure. He now understood the excitement anyone would have finding an oasis in a desert. Floating on his back, he looked through the trees to the sun, silently thanking whatever helped him out of that place.


    When Will was finally satisfied with his washing, he took out the canteens and went to the other side of the lake. He knew he would have to boil the water to purify it later. Even if he got less than half the water he had, it wouldn''t make any difference. It was still more water than he had the day prior.


    As Will filled up the canteens, he thought he heard someone talking. His head shot up instantly, it sounded like a female¡¯s voice and it sounded distressed. Putting his canteens away, Will raced to the sound he had heard.


    Running for just moments, Will came to a clearing in the trees that looked like a small path, just big enough for three people to travel side by side. Being just a few trees away from the clearing, Will concealed himself behind one as he looked toward the sounds of conversation. With his time in the silent desert, Will''s hearing had improved drastically. Even with the distance between them, he was still able to pick up words.


    Will strained his eyes to make out a small woman, around the same age as him if he had to guess. She carried with her a pack almost the same size as herself, clearly packed with vegetation as he saw the greens coming out from the top. She wore simple traveling clothes. A tan pair of worn out trousers and the same color blouse. Her hair was black and had a slight tan. If Will had to guess, she seemed around his age. Her eyes are dark in color, widened in what seemed to be fear.


    The source of that fear was quite obvious as there were two men in some sort of leather armor. One was holding a sword as the other stood to her side at a distance as if expecting resistance. His hand was resting on his own weapon waiting for even a hint of his partner having any trouble.


    ¡°Please, I''m not ready yet,¡± she pleaded with her would-be assailant. ¡°It isn''t even harvest time yet, how am I even supposed to eat?¡± Her eyes were never leaving the sword drawn just a foot away from her. The woman tried to back away, only to run into the other swordsman. ¡°Just let me have another month and it will be ready, I promise!¡± She screamed at the man in front of her.


    The man with the sword didn''t seem to care; looking the woman up and down, the man turned to his partner. The sword stayed ready as a playful smile never left his face. ¡°What do you think, boss?¡± He asked with a playful tone. ¡°Should we give her another month?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The ¡°boss¡± to her right took on his own smile. ¡°We could do that, but it will cost her,¡± he said while looking her up and down. ¡°Tell you what, miss, we can take you back to your place and work out a deal, I promise it''s a once in a lifetime opportunity,¡± he said with what looked like a lustful gleam in his eye.


    The girl looked from one guard to the other, anxiety building the more they talked. It started to seem like a battle she wouldn''t be able to win, submission and resignation ever growing in her features. How could she get out of the situation without getting hurt? Even more so if she won the fight, how long before another team showed up looking for their missing men? Slowly, she nodded her head as she accepted her fate. Anything to be able to eat another day.


    Having seen enough of the conflict in front of him, Will''s demeanor took a dark change. How those two could supposedly upheld the law by thinking of such horrible things? His anger was building with each passing moment. If they were really thinking of the harvest, they would take something else as collateral.


    Having resigned to her fate, the girl stared at nothing. She had only the pack on her back and a hollowed expression on her face. ¡°Could I at least keep the food that I have now? This is all I''ll have for the next week,¡± she asked with a glint of hope in her eyes.


    The guard looked at his boss. ¡°I don''t think that would be possible, our provisions are low, and we need dinner with our new entertainment!¡± He laughed while putting his sword away. ¡°But I''ll tell you what, why don''t you come back with us to the capital? We''ll make sure you are good and fed for the rest of your life,¡± he said with a wink. The girl winced in fear as one of the men came up behind her.


    The guard walked forward and took the already frightened woman''s arm and began to drag her the opposite way of where she was going. ¡°I thought we were going back to my home? Where are you taking me?¡± she asked with a small fearful sob escaping her throat.


    The boss looked back at her, his eyes slowly undressing her in his mind. ¡°Change of plans, we''re just going to take you with us for the cost of your crops,¡± he said with a menacing laugh. The girl could do nothing, so she went completely still, allowing the guard to drag her by her waist.


    At his last string of tolerance, Will jumped out of the trees onto the path and ran toward the guard as fast as he could. Before they could react, he swiftly grabbed the girl out of the unsuspecting guard¡¯s grasp. Not expecting any resistance, it was easy for Will to take her. The surprised guards turned to see an oddly dressed man holding their new toy.


    The guard¡¯s boss was looking incredulously at the young man, and he drew his sword. ¡°You dare attack the Crimson King''s representatives?¡± Rage replaced his shocked expression as he charged the strangely dressed man.


    As if in a trance fueled by his rage, Will felt the comforting warm aura that helped him in the desert change. Instead of the comforting campfire-like presence, his rage had fueled it into what was more like a forest fire begging to be released. His insides thirsted for the blood of the men who dare attack and take advantage of an innocent woman. There was a pull from deep inside him as if a door within was begging to be opened. Deep within the trance, Will opened the door within his mind.


    A pressure was released from Will as red flames spiraled upward, his bloodlust only served to fuel the fire. The guard stopped his charge, his face paled. Looking into the spiraling ruby red inferno, he saw a set of dark eyes void of mercy. His gaze shifted between the two who had seemed to have just wet themselves.


    ¡°Why is a Royal Flame attacking the Crimson Knights?¡± The guard asked when stopping his advance.


    Within the storm of rage, Will raised his hand out to the subordinate guard. The flame in a thin stream flew past his head. The prior assailant looked past at a tree in which the flame hit, a flaming hole set in the center. Within moments, the tree caught flame, burning to a crisp in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Leave.¡± The only word that escaped the inferno. His hatred for the men consuming any other part of him. His rage begged him to kill, to allow none to survive. It was a struggle just to contain such thoughts.


    The guards picked up their wits and fled the way they were previously dragging the girl as fast as their legs would allow. Will watched them disappear down the path, if they looked back, they would see a pillar of ruby red flame parting the clouds.


    Will tried as hard as he could to cut off the power, but he still knew nothing about it. All he wanted to do is chase those men down and sear the flesh from their bones. His rage had taken over completely; he felt his legs start moving toward the men ever so slowly. He felt like he should give them at least a head start.


    ¡°Please, stop!¡± A voice cried out from beyond the inferno. Will didn''t know the voice nor did he care. All that mattered was the guards who were about to die. ¡°You''ve done enough, please, just stop!¡± She cried out again, hoping to wake Will from his trance. ¡°I can''t thank you enough for saving me, but if you could just calm down a little, you can allow your flames to dissipate,¡± she said calmly into the fire.


    Will calmed down enough to see through the flames, to the woman who had been in trouble before. Seeing that she was safe, he was able to allow his flames to go out completely.


    Having calmed slightly, Will felt intense fatigue setting in. His face paled as his legs fell from under him. It felt as though every ounce of strength was taken in order to fuel the fire. As he lay on the ground facing the sky, he smiled. I''m glad I was able to help, he thought as the darkness started to sink in. The woman raced to his side with a concerned expression which was the last thing he saw before the world went black.

 Chapter 7: Maya

    For the second time that day, Will opened his eyes. Instead of a forest floor in which he was expecting, he was in a hard wooden bed with what felt like a worn-out mattress. Whatever it was, it was the softest thing he had slept on in days. He wanted to pull the covers over his eyes and fall back asleep before he realized that once again he was in unfamiliar territory.


    Will sat up slowly, noticing that everything was still on him including his jacket, dog tags, and cross. His joints yet again aching from overexertion; he took in his surroundings. He was in a small stone walled room. The only furniture was the bed, a small wooden table, and a chair. On the table, a half loaf of bread was placed with a cup of water, next to the bed rested his bag. Will silently thanked whoever brought him to the medieval hotel room with all of his belongings. He couldn''t imagine the trip without his bag.


    Looking at the bread, Will remembered the woman who had been in trouble on the path; instantly, he jumped out of bed and went to the door. Flinging it open, he was instantly greeted by a surprised face.


    The woman had been stoking a small cooking fire, making what looked like to be stew. ¡°I didn''t expect you to be awake for some time now,¡± she said with a smile. She was clearly happy to be back at home rather than being brought to who knows where by those guards.


    ¡°I mean no offense, ma''am,¡± Will said as he looked around the small cottage, clearly not remembering the one of whom he saved, ¡°but where am I?¡± the last thing he remembered was saving someone and passing out.


    ¡°You collapsed after saving me from those evil men,¡± the woman said as she looked at Will with a smile. ¡°I brought you back to my home so you could rest, it was the least I could do after what you did.¡±


    ¡°What I did?¡± Will had a confused expression on his face, clearly not knowing what he did to deserve such hospitality. ¡°I''m sorry, the last thing I remember was feeling angry at the way those men were treating a traveling woman,¡± he said trying to recall the events. Will''s eyes wandered around the small cottage, landing directly on the woman. His eyes widened when he remembered her.


    ¡°My name is Maya,¡± she said in a small voice, ¡°thank you so much for saving me.¡± Her face gradually taking a pink complexion.


    ¡°You can rest some more if you''d like,¡± she said with shining eyes. ¡°I do not have much for food, but you are welcomed to my table for as long as you wish.¡±


    Will remembered what Maya said about the bag of provisions. He went back to his room for his bag. If there was anything he could do, he would help to ensure that she had everything she needed as a payment for her hospitality.


    Will placed the bag on the bed and summoned up the food he had. By the time he had finished, he brought out fifty packs of jerky and fifty packs of top ramen. The more trips he took with food in his hands, the more surprised Maya looked.


    When Will finally finished with the food, he brought out a campfire cooking grill, a pot, four bowls, and four forks. ¡°I''m William Carter,¡± he said to Maya, somewhat embarrassed that he didn''t introduce himself earlier. She could only giggle at his attempt to correct himself


    Will looked at Maya. ¡°I''m glad they didn''t hurt you,¡± he said honestly. If he was as powerless as he was in Colorado, he wouldn''t have been able to do anything. Will thanked whatever allowed him to help.


    ¡°I could have been in a lot of trouble if you didn''t show up,¡± she said with a concerned look. ¡°I''m very grateful for your assistance,¡± she said as she looked at Will. ¡°You aren''t from around here, are you?¡± She asked as she looked at the clothes he was wearing. ¡°I''ve never seen garments even close to what you have.¡±


    Will looked at what she had on compared to him. ¡°I suppose you could say that,¡± he said, scratching his head while looking at his clothes. ¡°I don''t think you would understand to be honest.¡±


    ¡°What realm are you from then?¡± she said plainly. Will could only stare at her, trying to find words to reply.


    ¡°Ummm, Earth?¡± he said somewhat confused. He didn''t necessarily know what she knew of realms. He had only gotten a brief explanation from Michael before he had to leave. He didn''t know what else he was supposed to say. What if just saying that, she would bring him to the guards and tell them he was an alien?


    Maya giggled yet again. ¡°So you are from a realm with no magic whatsoever huh?¡± She seemed to have a hard time to believe that. ¡°If that were true, how would you be able to control the Royal Flame?¡± She looked at him as if he were a science experiment.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I don''t even know what a royal flame is,¡± Will said slightly annoyed. ¡°I''m sorry I''m not giving you the answers you wish for, but this is all I know. You were in trouble and I helped.¡± Will''s agitation was starting to grow a little.


    ¡°I''m sorry, William, but it''s just hard to believe you are not from here and yet you wield a crimson flame,¡± she said skeptically. ¡°Unless you are a half breed of course.¡± Will didn''t know what that meant but usually that would make anyone upset upon hearing.


    ¡°Listen, I was born in Minnesota, I''m not a half breed or whatever. I''m one hundred percent what I am.¡± Will didn''t even know what he was saying anymore, yet anything was better than staying silent after Maya''s statement.


    ¡°Look, I''m not trying to make you upset or anything,¡± Maya said honestly. ¡°Some flame users decide this realm isn''t good enough and leave to others. More times than not, they get married and have kids. Those kids always find their way here eventually.¡± Maya shook her head, ¡°Look, I''m not trying to make you mad or anything, I am just trying to make sense of you,¡± she said with an apologetic smile. ¡°I can stop with these questions for now. Why don''t you eat something? Having that huge of a flame come out must have drained you.¡± Will''s stomach groaned as she mentioned food. He didn''t want to admit it, but she was right, he was starving.


    Maya took a bowl and scooped a fair portion of the stew into it. Handing it to Will, she watched him practically swallow the bowl whole, followed by him begging for water. She couldn''t help but giggle at him as he had hard time breathing. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me it was spicy?¡± he asked while gasping for air.


    Cocking her head to the side, Maya gave him a curious look. ¡°I didn''t know there was any other way to make it.¡± Will gave her a dirty look as she burst out laughing. ¡°You have to admit it''s good though, I''ll bet your strength has returned by now,¡± she said as she got him water.


    Will was about to say an absurd remark when he noticed she was right, he was completely rejuvenated! ¡°What was in that stew?¡± He asked curiously. If he could get the recipe, he could be set for life!


    ¡°Just some boar meat with a few herbs and peppers,¡± she said while she scooped up her own food. ¡°It''s really filling in even a small quantity, that''s why I like making it.¡±


    ¡°That can''t be all there is in it,¡± Will said slightly confused. ¡°If that were true, then any food in my world would do around the same wouldn''t it?¡±


    ¡°The agriculture and the wildlife in this world is enriched with spiritual energy, it adds nutrients that you wouldn''t be able to get anywhere else,¡± she said as she looked at him curiously. ¡°You really aren''t from around here, are you?¡± Will was obviously done answering that silly question. How could she possibly still think he was from this plain? He wasn''t dressed like anything she had ever seen, he was ignorant of everything to do with where she lived including the wildlife and the vegetation. What else would he need to say for her to finally start to believe him?


    Thinking for a minute, Will had an idea. He went to the table and took a pack of jerky. ¡°You have beef here, right?¡± He asked Maya who just nodded her head slowly as if she were indulging an insane person. Will opened the pack and handed it to Maya. ¡°Try a piece of this then tell me if you believe me.¡±


    Maya took a strip of the meat, and soon she felt the texture she knew it was different. Slowly she tore a chunk of the strip off and chewed. Her face instantly shriveled up in disgust. Spitting it out into the fire, she stared at Will with a slight disgust. ¡°Are you trying to poison me or something? What was that?¡±


    Will took the same pack of jerky and took a bite out of a strip he took from the bag. Maya looked at him in amazement as he chewed and swallowed the piece of meat. ¡°This is considered a snack where I come from,¡± he said as he tore another chunk out of the meat. ¡°People pay good money to eat this,¡± he finished with a chuckle.


    ¡°If that''s true, where you come from must be completely barbaric.¡± She spat as she tried to get the taste out of her mouth. ¡°Are you from a cave dwelling realm or something?¡± Will''s chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh.


    ¡°A cave dwelling realm?¡± He asked as he tried to calm himself. ¡°Even the cheapest home we have in my realm looks like a five star hotel compared to this place,¡± he said, he wasn''t trying to make her feel bad or anything, but it wasn''t easy to do so since everything she was saying ended up pissing him off.


    Maya''s gaze became dark after his last comment; first he complemented her culinary skills, but then he insulted the home she lived in. ¡°Look, Maya, I''m not trying to be mean or anything, you have a much better home here than I could have while I''m here,¡± he said, trying to calm her down even if just a little. Thinking quickly, Will got his phone from his pocket and turned it on. Maya''s dark look instantly became a face of wonder. As Will''s phone came to life, he instantly went to the pictures. He had plenty of Bianca and Leo hanging out with him at various places. Maya intently looked at every picture as he scrolled through. He showed her apartment structures that Leo lived in or Will''s old house. There were pictures of the unfinished library with Will and Bianca sitting on a wall eating McDonald''s while watching the city lights below. With each picture, Will saw a look of disbelief set upon Maya''s face.


    ¡°Like I said, my name is William Carter,¡± Will said softly. ¡°I''m from Minnesota back on Earth. I''m not a half breed or whatever you called me,¡± he continued. ¡°My mother is Isabella and my father is Jonathan.¡± Will tried everything to make her understand.


    ¡°So you really aren''t from this realm,¡± she said, not really a question but a realization. ¡°As I said before, you saved my life,¡± she said quickly, not taking her eyes off of the phone Will was turning off. ¡°You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish.¡±


    ¡°That is very kind of you, Maya,¡± Will said gently, he knew she was already just as confused as he was. ¡°While I''m here, maybe you could teach me a little bit about this world?¡± He asked in as friendly a tone as he could. Maya could only nod as she sat and finished her food.

 Chapter 8: Truth and Lessons

    ¡°The only thing I know about this land is what I heard from the guards.¡± Will started as he sat on the grass outside of the cottage. ¡°Something about a Crimson King and Ebonhart.¡±


    ¡°The Crimson King came to power around twenty years ago.¡± Maya nodded as she confirmed what Will had heard. She took a small pause while picking a blade of grass, playing with it between her fingers. ¡°He and his wife had a child three years into his rule. During that time, my father said the kingdom had flourished.¡± Will listened intently to her explanation. The history of the king may be the only way to truly fit in with the others in this world.


    ¡°Fourteen years ago, his wife left the castle with her child. No one saw her leave nor did they have notice of her departure.¡± Maya looked up at the clouds, a thoughtful expression on her face. ¡°The king fell into a deep depression, not even knowing why she left. Since then, he has kept himself in the castle and allowed his advisers to run the kingdom,¡± she said ¡°advisers¡± with such disgust that Will was surprised.


    ¡°Since that time, the advisers have been bleeding this land dry. The taxes have been raised, and our harvest taken yearly for the royal army, making living nearly impossible.¡± Maya''s eyes were now filled with disappointment as she looked down at the single blade of grass in her hand. ¡°Anyone who can''t pay, they make an example of. Last year, my father wasn''t able to meet the tax requirement and well . . .¡± She stopped and looked at the ground. Will could only imagine what had happened. ¡°Any elderly who can''t meet the tax deadline is executed on sight,¡± she continued. ¡°Their reasoning is if they can''t work, why would they be allowed to live off the kingdom?¡± Her anger was shown through her eyes. ¡°They blamed it on keeping troops fed just in case of war.¡±


    Knowing he had hit a sore spot in her life, Will cleared his throat and changed the subject. ¡°So what exactly can I do to help?¡± Maya looked at him with a hopeful expression. Will could tell that it had been hard on her; trying to get everything prepared for the harvest was something a group of people did. She only had herself.


    ¡°If you feel the need to help, you could always help out in the field with me. Also I''m a bit too little to chop wood for the fire. If you could help, I would be grateful,¡± she said with a cheery expression, her eyes smiling more than just her mouth. Will smiled at her change in mood. Her smile fit her features perfectly in the setting sun. He didn''t understand most of the politics in his world, but he could tell that anything was better than what she had to go through. Anything he could do to help her would be too little compared to what she had already done for him.


    They sat on the grass and talked for a good amount of time about nothing in particular, the sound of Maya''s laughter echoing throughout the trees. In Will''s time so far in this new world, truly anything was second to the happiness within those few moments, he felt as though he made a close friend. He made a silent promise to himself that he would do what he could to ensure that smile stayed on her face.


    The sun had already set an undetermined amount of time ago, the only light was that in which the stars emitted. Will stood up from their resting place and offered his hand to Maya. Accepting his hand, they both stood in the patch of grass, barely any stars were visible, but Will could still make out how Maya''s eyes shown in the limited light.


    ¡°We should probably head inside and get some sleep,¡± Maya said as she looked away from Will. She was grateful for how dark it was, any lighter and he would have seen how red her face was.


    Will nodded as they went to the small cottage. He had just woken up not too long ago, but the stew Maya made had already made him tired. ¡°So what are the sleeping arrangements going to be like while I''m staying here?¡± Will asked. It was a valid question seeing as though the cottage was just a single room. He didn''t even remember any furniture in the living area besides a few chairs by the fire.


    Maya turned to meet his gaze. ¡°You can take the floor in the living area if you''d like, I''m sure there''s enough space for your sleeping mat.¡± Will instantly shook his head at the idea. He had been sleeping on hard surfaces since he got to Crystallia, he wasn''t too thrilled to go back to it again.


    ¡°I''ll just take a tree out on the side of the house if that''s alright with you,¡± he said almost instantly after her idea. He remembered how nice it was to wake up to the sun, being shaded by trees. He enjoyed the feel of the grass under him, it made him think of all the times he had gone camping with Jonathan.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Maya nodded with understanding. Will had to assume she was also thinking about living arrangements. ¡°Will you be alright sleeping outside? There really isn''t too much for wildlife around to be a threat, but the cold is a different story,¡± she said as a hint of worry was easy for Will to pick up on.


    ¡°I''ve slept outside every night since I''ve gotten to this place,¡± He said with a sigh. ¡°But I''ve kind of gotten used to it,¡± he said with a smile on his face. The smile alone was enough to put Maya''s mind at ease. Will''s heart eased just a little bit by the smile she returned. Something about making her happy was enough to keep him content, even in the strange world he had landed himself in.


    ¡°Just yell if you need anything, there''s a well over there if you get thirsty.¡± She pointed over to the corner of the shack. Will nodded with a smile as he left the shack to find a good place.


    It took only a moment to find a decent place near a tall tree with plenty of cover from rain. Will made a mental note as he setup a camp to see whether it was possible to make a cottage of his own for future use; he didn''t see himself sleeping outside for months on end. With a sigh, he finished within ten minutes as he sat cross-legged on the top of his sleeping bag. Having had such a day with many events, the recollection was as if he were watching a movie. Thinking back to when he made the fire appear, Will decided to experiment a little before bed.


    The only thing that had felt different to Will since he got to this new world was the warm aura that had surrounded him at all times. It almost felt like a safety blanket to him, it kept him warm and dry in many occasions though he knew from the flames earlier that it wasn''t just used for comfort. He could also use them for protection and to fight back. Will''s mind wandered to the black cloaks that Michael had fought. He remembered that Michael had been able to conjure up his own flame within his sword. It was that thought that made Will realize how weak he truly was, but at the same time, he was given the opportunity to get stronger.


    Closing his eyes, Will focused on the aura. He felt the warmth all around him; it almost felt like a second skin. Skin huh? Will thought. Under the skin was muscle and bone, under the skin there were joints. If it were anything like a second skin, maybe he could move it. He imagined the aura circulating, moving as if it were a real thing. To Will''s astonishment, he felt the aura moving with his thoughts. Not losing concentration, Will raised a palm upward. He directed his now living aura to circulate into the palm of his hand. All the extra heat from the aura left the fullness of his body and traveled to the hand in which he instructed. He could feel the heat of the aura pushing itself to the palm of his hand. The aura was stuck just beneath the surface of his palm; it took all of his concentration for it to break through to bring it to life.


    When Will opened his eyes, without breaking his concentration, he looked at the palm of his hand. Will''s eyes grew wide as he saw a ruby red flame, the size of a candle flame in the center of his palm. Will stared at the flame and the light it cast just a few feet in front of him. Only within moments, the exertion became too taxing for him to keep the flame lit; moments later, the flame went out.


    The feeling that he had just ran a marathon quickly set upon Will as the aura once again wrapped itself around him. Though the familiar warmness returned, it was weaker. A light sheen of sweat coated Will''s face as he steadied his breathing.


    Will quickly took out his phone, switching it to his Kindle. The book he had just been reading was about a boy in which he just found out he could do magic. Will read for only a few minutes wishing to conserve his battery life. He brought the book to the section he was looking for.


    Quickly realized that his magic was like a muscle. The more he used it, the stronger it became, but it was also easy to overexert himself which left him without much strength and put him in danger. In order to truly wield this strength, he had to train this new muscle to make it grow stronger and at the same time, make him stronger.


    Will read only that section before he turned the phone off. Now deep in thought, Will sat on his makeshift bed for an hour, drinking water from one of his summoned canteens. Before long, he felt the strength of his aura return. It had been as if a flood of energy enveloped him, leaving a feel of completion setting over him.


    Yet again, Will closed his eyes and circulated his aura to his hand, and yet again, the ruby flame appeared from nothing. This time he timed himself with the flame lit. Staring into the strange flame, Will felt as if it had always been there though his old world had not allowed it to exist. The magic itself wasn''t as outlandish to him since he grew up reading, watching, and listening to nothing other than the worlds within fictional novels and movies. In a way, magic had always been a part of his life.


    Within fifteen seconds, Will felt the pull of his strength once more as the flame returned to his aura. He picked up the canteen once again drowning out his exhaustion. He sat yet again for an hour waiting for his strength to return. As soon as he felt his aura strengthen, he summoned his flame once more.


    Twenty seconds, twenty-five, thirty. By the time Will was done, he was able to keep the flame going for two minutes. Though he could still continue working, the sun was already rising and he had to get to work. He had promised Maya that he''d get firewood chopped for breakfast, and Will wasn''t one to go against his word.


    With tired eyes, Will made his way to the shack. ¡°Well, Dad, I wish you could see me now,¡± Will said as he looked up to the already fading stars. A faint smile dawn his face as he thought of his father. One day he would return, but right now he had to work hard to make him proud.

 Chapter 9: Part to Play

    From that night, Will found a routine. He would wake up and chop firewood before breakfast. When he was done eating, he and Maya would go to the field to pick herbs as well as hunt for wild turkey or whatever they could find. When they returned, Will used the rest of his day until the dead hours of night to train his fire.


    Will had lost track of time while in this routine. From constantly waking up and spending time with Maya, to training for hours on end, his days had become so meshed together it was hard to tell if he was sleeping or awake at some points. Though he couldn''t find any other way to spend his days nor would he want to. While losing time, he was gaining power. He was now capable of keeping his fire lit for at least two hours.


    What started out as just a candle flame had gained in mass and height. Now instead of just a small flame, Will had in his hand what looked like a light stream of ruby red flame dancing upward almost to the first branch of the tall tree where he slept. Since he had gotten to this point in his self training sessions, he decided his flame control was at a level where he could finally try something new.


    Sitting cross-legged on his sleeping mat as he had done every day and night since he made this place his home, Will relaxed himself. He felt the ever present aura of heat around him, just as he always had. He allowed his thoughts to manipulate the aura, having it circulate into the palm of his hand.


    The ruby red flame sprang to life in his hand as tall as the lowest branch on his tree. Like a pillar of light, it stood on his palm threatening to set his tree on fire. Though this time, Will lifted his left hand palm up. He held a mental image of a flame within his other hand, and manipulated the aura to transfer half of the energy to bring it to life. Will now sat with two flames of equal size within his hands.


    Having the flames in his hands, Will felt a tremendous feeling of pride. He had done this all on his own with no mentor, no one to tell him what he was and wasn''t supposed to do with what he had. The only thing that got him to this point were the books he''d read growing up, the lessons in which he never thought would actually come in handy.


    Now that he mastered both hands with the flames, Will allowed his mind to form both of them into balls. They were slightly sloppy, having only shape with nothing of actual power, but Will was excited. He had setup a target to try his luck. It was a thick wall of wood from what he was stacking. When he chopped wood for Maya, he put a few logs aside in order to tie them up for the target.


    Getting to his feet, Will threw the first fireball toward the target. Unfortunately as soon as it left his hand, it disappeared as if it were never there. Will was taken aback. If he couldn''t throw it at the target, how would he utilize its power for his own defense later on? Sitting down again, he let the other fireball go out while he pondered what might have gone wrong.


    Having thought about it for an hour, Will felt the fraction of his used aura return and decided to try again. Forming just one fireball, he threw it yet again at the target. The end result was as disappointing as the first attempt. Far from giving up, Will made a second ball though instead of throwing it, he stared into the ruby red flame with a thought.


    Will channeled the aura to the ball; he imagined it floating above his head. The fireball as fast as his thought went straight for the top of his head. I don''t throw the fireball, he thought to himself, I give it a direction, and it''ll do the rest. Giving it a try, he channeled his intentions to the fireball, and it left the top of his head and went straight for the target.


    When the flame hit the wood, it was completely engulfed in the flame. Will had to scramble out of his camp to get water to put it out. Before he got to the well, a thought occurred to him. The flame is controlled by my thoughts, he thought to himself as he watched the ruby red flames engulf the wood. So if I will it to die, then it should right? Will gave it a try. Putting his hand up above the flame, he slowly brought it down while keeping his concentration on the fire he had started. As the hand went down, so did the flame. Interested in the aspect, Will didn''t completely put it out. Instead, he willed his flame to return to his hand. The flame yet again reacted to his intent. ¡°At least I know now that I won''t have to waste any of my energy when the flame is already made,¡± he said in a thoughtful tone.


    Once he willed the fire out of existence, Will sat back down on his mat, excited with his breakthrough in his training. He allowed himself to fall into his sleeping bag while looking up at the stars. ¡°I''m no Shadeslayer, but give me time,¡± he said to himself with a smirk on his face.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Seeing as though he wasn''t exhausted quite yet, Will summoned his flames and sat in his cross-legged meditative position as he focused on changing the flames shapes. First it was his usual candle flame, and then he formed them into fireballs. So engrossed with his ruby red flames, he allowed his mind to wander. He thought of his father back home in his world, of what he knew about him. Will had always traveled with Jonathan since before his mother went missing. It seemed at times he was always around his father. So how did he know so much about this world? How did he know Michael? How did he know that he was in danger?


    While in his meditative trance, his flames depicted his desires, forming the face of his father, and then that of his mother. It was because of his desire to find Isabella that he was okay with being in this other world, to find her, and bring her home no matter what the cost. Jonathan deserved at least that much. If Jonathan was a true Minnesotan, that would just leave his mother as the one that originated from Crystallia, how else would he have these gifts?


    As the red flame burned bright with his mother''s image, Will heard footsteps coming out to his tree. Quickly, he willed the flames back within his aura as he turned to see Maya and the thoughtful expression that adorned her features.


    ¡°Hard at work as always I see,¡± she said as she sat on the grass next to him. Within the few months they spent together, Will had gotten pretty close to Maya. They spent most of their day out in the field picking herbs and talking about life. Will wasn''t really that good at locating anything of which would be useful, so usually he would just be there for conversation. Maya didn''t mind his lack of knowledge; instead, she found comfort in his company. Ever since that day, in which he saved her, she had always felt safe by his side. Will continuously renewed his vow to ensure her safety no matter the costs. He knew all that she had lost so far, and he couldn''t bare if she lost anymore.


    Most nights while Will was training his flame, she would watch him sit for hours, constantly doing the same monotonous routine. Over the time, she had seen the improvement he''d made though never questioned how he seemed to know each step to overcome every obstacle. It was like watching a genius in action. She had always known he was different, of that; he would never try to cover up. He had already told her he was from a different realm so even though he knew what he did, she was sure there was a reason for it. Every once in a while, she would see him take out his phone and check it; she knew there was a picture of the woman he loved that he couldn''t stop thinking about. To see the look he''d made after each time he''d check, as if he were in a faraway place completely alone, it would make her heart ache for him.


    Will summoned up both flames and in an instant, they flew one foot above his head. ¡°I''ve finally figured out how to make multiple flames,¡± he began. ¡°Though the density of the flame seems a little wild and untamed, it will only take a little more practice to be able to make something of these.¡± He pointed above his head with a smile playing on his lips.


    Maya started fidgeting; playing with a blade of grass she plucked when she sat down. Will had noticed a long time ago that she only did that when something was on her mind. ¡°Have you enjoyed your time with me?¡± She asked with a half smile.


    ¡°In my time within this world, you have been the only one to show me true hospitality,¡± Will said in a matter-of-fact tone. He allowed himself to fall back on his sleeping mat and look up at the stars. ¡°If I could express the way I feel toward you, it would be the feeling I have for a family,¡± he said, turning his face from the heavens to look into the eyes of his friend.


    Maya''s half smile turned full as she looked down to her single blade of grass. ¡°I''m honored you feel that way, Will,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I am going to Nearwood Village in a few months in order to give the herbs to the town herbalist for our annual sale. Since you''ve been here for a few months helping out, I should get a much better turnover than last year.¡± Maya looked back at Will. ¡°I was wondering if you might accompany me to the village. After my incident a few months back with the guards, I do not really feel safe alone.¡±


    ¡°Do you even have to ask?¡± Will chuckled as he looked at the serious expression Maya had. One that turned from steeled to a look of embarrassment as Will took hold of her hand. ¡°As if I would let you go off on your own after the way we met in the first place.¡±


    Maya moved Will''s hand away and instead embraced him, her head buried in his chest. ¡°I knew you wouldn''t let me down,¡± she said as a tear of happiness fell to the grass. For a few minutes, Will allowed her to remain within the embrace, but as the time passed, his thoughts drifted to Bianca.


    Maya noticed Will''s eagerness to get out of their hold and quickly let go. She wiped her cheek and stood up. ¡°Two months from today we will leave, until then just rest and gather yourself for the journey.¡± Will nodded with a smile, and she turned on her heel to walk back to the shack.


    Just before the door to the cottage shut, Maya saw Will turn his phone on once more. Looking at Bianca in the picture she sent him, the picture showing him that she was still there for him, all he could do was shut it off and look up. Maya could feel the loneliness Will was going through and wished with all her heart that there was something she could do for him.


    There was not even a single cloud in the sky as Will looked up. If only my mind could be as clear as this night, he thought to himself as he allowed his aura to make a wave of flames, constantly showing him pictures of his loved ones within his own world. The more Will saw, the more he realized just how alone he really was.

 Chapter 10: Discovery and Departure

    The seamlessly endless night drew on as Will slept peacefully within his sleeping bag under the stars in which appeared between the random branches of his tree. While the calm set in within the silent darkness, many miles away, an old man looked out the window of his castle room.


    The Crimson King as always kept himself isolated from others, the only thing that truly held his interest was his mirror. He didn''t find his looks so appealing that he''d stare at himself; instead, he used his royal flame on the mirror to try to locate his wife and son.


    A twinge of sadness crept into the old king''s eyes as he thought of his son. Three years old when he was taken away. Fourteen years of birthdays he had missed, fourteen years of raising his own heir. The king had been worried since that fateful day that his son would not be found in his lifetime. What would happen to the kingdom without an heir? Would his bloodline step down from the throne? But even more worrisome was the idea of his child growing up not truly knowing who he was. He couldn''t think of a worse punishment dealt to him than to take away his heir before he truly knew who his father was. If he had just been older, the old king may have been able to get a trace on his flame in order to track him easier. The only thing he could think of that was blocking the scrye mirror was another flame that was holding his son back.


    As he had done every night since the disappearance of his family, the Crimson King waved his hand toward the mirror. ¡°Show me,¡± were the only words that escaped his lips as his sad tired eyes gazed upon the mirror. He wasn''t really expecting to find anything; if anything at all, this had become a forced habit, a way to show the universe he had not given up, and the only way he could possibly bare the nightmares in which he had.


    The mirror swirled a golden flame as if the reflective surface was a cyclone of gold as rich as his jeweled crown. In a few moments, the flames parted, leaving a wooded area. The king''s eyes grew wide as in the center of the wood line, there was a sleeping mat, and on that sleeping mat was a crimson flame. He wouldn''t have cared so much except the fact that he saw a small seed of gold within the flame, the identifier for the heir to the royal flame. The king was so astonished to see a reaction in the mirror; he didn''t even question why the appearance was only his flame. The flame of lineage had burned brightly within the mirror; there was no question that it was youthful.


    ¡°My son returns,¡± the Crimson King said with a small sob. Without wasting any time, he zoomed out the picture in the mirror so he could get a better look at the location in which the flame was located. As soon as he had a proper view, he called for his guards. Moments later, two men knocked and entered the king''s chambers.


    ¡°I want you to memorize this location,¡± the king said quickly. ¡°Make a map or just use memory, I don''t care what you do, just bring me anyone you find within this area,¡± he said within his full capacity as king. ¡°Any failure will have to report directly to me!¡± With the last of the king¡¯s brief done, the guards had already departed.


    ¡°Soon, my son, we will be reunited,¡± he said with a smile on his face for the first time in fourteen years. The flame in the mirror reflected the flame in his heart. With this new discovery, a long died out fire rekindled within the old king''s heart.


    As the door closed to the room, a shadow appeared in the hall. With a wave of his hand, five shadow-like figures appeared behind him. ¡°Follow the guards. If they find the boy, take him before they are able to collect him.¡± As he said the final words, a rush of their black cloaks were the only sounds they made as they departed.


    As the sun shone through the tree of his camp, Will''s eyes came open slowly. Today was the day in which he and Maya would set off for Nearwood Village. Excitement was shining as if the sun had found a new home in his eyes. Will sat up and stretched his muscles.


    Nothing really eventful had happened in the past few months of preparation. Will spent most of his time training his flames while Maya made preparations to leave. Putting small bags of herbs within larger bags, Maya had spent most of her time loading her small wagon. Though Will had offered to help her on many occasions, he was turned down as fast as he''d offered. Maya was so set on getting this portion of the job done on her own as well as insisting that Will take it easy for the next week, that Will had begun to feel a new appreciation for her. Not only did she work hard, but she cared about others working too hard.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Seeing that Will had more time to train, he had increased his flames output by two more hours. He had gone to a clearing in the woods every night to make as big a flame as he could and formed it into a ball of condensed flame. Now that he had four hours of training time, Will almost constantly had his ruby fire present, taking a permanent spot a foot above his head. To keep him occupied, he changed the density of the flames to the maximum as well as decreased the output. No matter what he seemed to do with them, the time had always matched the cool down of the ability.


    Now that he had been taking it easy, the twin flames danced a foot above his head, rotating and circling as if he had a dancing fire above him. Will barely noticed when the flames dissipated now; he would just feel a pull within his aura when his time was done. An hour later, when the aura''s strength returned, he would feel a fullness within himself that told him it was ready once more.


    Having finished with the preparations, Maya went to Will who had just finished packing up his camp besides his sleeping bag. Without words, they looked at the cottage. Maya had never truly left without her parents before, but since they were no longer with her, she had to make the trip and carry out the deal in memory of everything they had done for her. Will ensured that he was as strong as he could be for the journey; he had no idea of what kind of dangers they could be in for. The most he could do was train and hope it would be enough for any trial they might face along the way.


    ¡°We will wait at least until dusk,¡± Maya said as she finished tying up the wagon. ¡°You shouldn''t train tonight, William, you will need all of your strength for tomorrow, I''m sure,¡± she said with a smile on her face. As she raced back to her cottage, Will couldn''t help but watch her as she opened the door to enter. He had been with her for at least four months, and it would be a lie to say that he didn''t have feelings for her. It''s not like I''m cheating on you, his thoughts turned to Bianca, but it''s starting to feel like it''s going to be a while before I get back. It could be a long time before Will found Michael and moved on to the next stage of his training. It could take months or it could take years. Will didn''t know how long he had to wait for Bianca. His phone had died a month ago, with its death came a new peace inside of Will. He wished her the best, but he couldn''t hold out for her if there wasn''t any way for her to be with him.


    Will had been thinking a lot about Maya and how they got along together. She had always been cheerful toward him since he met her. She had always been kind and generous. He couldn''t find a reason why he shouldn''t open up his heart to her, but every time he would try, the memory of Bianca would get in his way.


    Sitting on his sleeping bag, Will couldn''t help but think what life could have been like if he was born in Crystallia. Would he have known Maya? What would his mother truly be like? Would he have even known who Jonathan was? Will stopped himself at that thought, if his mother had stayed in Crystallia, he wouldn''t have even been born.


    As Will sat in his thoughts, he didn''t even notice when Maya sat on the grass next to him. She had noticed his expression almost instantaneously and decided it was time for her to say something. ¡°You know you''re not alone, right?¡± She asked, trying hard to get him out of his usual thoughts. ¡°I''ve been here for you from the beginning, and you know I''m not going anywhere, right?¡± Will looked at Maya as if he''d never seen her before. Her concerned expression didn''t match that of what a friend would make. He frowned slightly as he tried hard to make his thoughts go away. As he did, he noticed that his flames had already taken the form of the people he had been thinking of. Without him realizing, all of the faces shifted to the face of one person, the one that was sitting next to him.


    Maya looked at the many reflections of herself, not knowing what to make of it. She had seen the faces of his loved ones in the fire many times, but never once did it actually depict her. She looked at each and every one of them, most of them had her smile, and others had her crying. All of them showed the concern Will must have felt for her. She looked from the flames to Will, his face was completely unreadable as he stared at her.


    ¡°Maya,¡± Will said quietly, ¡°if I were to accept you in the way you wish, I''d be saying good-bye to the one I care about back in my world.¡± He looked down. Maya could see the confusion building up in him. ¡°I would have to give her up. I don''t know if I''m ready to do that.¡±


    Maya watched him for a moment, a moment in which was long enough to see a tear fall from his eye. In that instant, she pulled him into an embrace. ¡°I''m not looking for anything else besides you realizing that you have a place in this world as well,¡± she said as she cradled his head in her arms. ¡°I''ll always be here should you ever find yourself lost, William.¡± With that, she laid him in his sleeping bag. She couldn''t bring herself to leave him, so she instead brought him close as she lay down next to him. Will had fallen asleep with Maya holding him in her arms. ¡°I''m always going to be here for you,¡± she said softly as she felt his breath even.


    Enveloped in darkness, the mercy of his dreamless sleep, Will cuddled up close to Maya. The first true feeling of belonging had finally set in with him. He felt that as long as Maya was with him, he never truly had to be alone. Within his dreamless sleep, a face appeared¡ªone that he knew all too well. Bianca was there with him as clear as day, but the more he held on to Maya, the more the image of Bianca faded away. It''s time to let you go, he thought to himself one final time before he allowed the darkness to take over.

 Chapter 11: Black Despair

    Within the first day of traveling, Will and Maya had spent half the day on the same path. The wood line stretching far in front of them. No matter how sore Will''s arms had become from heaving the small heavy cart, he had not complained once. Though now he understood exactly why Maya had been so adamant on him resting the full week before they had left. She had wanted him to be completely rested in order to meet the physical demands of the journey.


    Seeing Will not complaining about the physical demands of the trip didn''t stop Maya from seeing the decrease in speed. ¡°Let¡¯s find a resting place. It''s been hours since we left,¡± she said with a concerned look as she saw the deep sheen of sweat upon Will''s face. Nodding his approval, they left the path for only a minute, just long enough for the wagon to be concealed from the path. Finding a small clearing in the trees, Will sat the wagon down and took out some of his jerky provisions and water.


    Within moments, the two were sitting in the grass, eating the dried meat, and washing it down with cold refreshing water. Though the trip was a long one, both of them were grateful to be on it together. It would have been a lonely dangerous trip for either of them to make on their own.


    About an hour later, Will put away the canteens and let himself fall onto the grass, allowing his head to hit the forest floor. The sun was in the final stages of setting as he looked up to see the first stars to appear. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for the night,¡± Will said as he sat up and rummaged through his bag for sleeping mats and sleeping bags. ¡°Traveling through the night would be risky especially with the wagon.¡± Maya nodded her agreement as she accepted the sleeping supplies.


    There was no real need for a fire seeing as though the sleeping bags were insulated, so the two just curled up and talked as the final blueness of the sky turned dark. Within an hour, exhaustion took Will as he finally released his consciousness into the realm of dreams.


    Seeing Will resting so peacefully, Maya couldn''t help but smile. She hadn''t expected him to overdue it on the trip, there were plenty other resting spots along the way from home, but Will had insisted on traveling until dusk.


    There were still so many mysteries surrounding the slumbering man next to her. So many things she wished to know. Seeing his mournful expression every time he looked at that ''phone'' as he called it, she knew there was someone in his life back where he came from, he had all but admitted that the night before. At times, he was so close to her but whenever he looked at his phone, he would trail off into himself and leave her behind. She had been relieved when the thing causing so much grief had long since stopped working. But then he was always training himself, pushing to the limits. Why?


    Would Will ever look at her the way he looked into his past? Would he ever show the same affection toward her that he did someone he was intimate with? Maya knew one day that he might. He had finally let her in the other night, had finally shown a brief display of helplessness. She thought back to when she was able to hold him in her arms. It was an amazing experience, something she was waiting for the entire time he lived with her, laying next to him, she had a feeling of accomplishment. He had been so drawn to himself, she doubted he even noticed.


    Finally allowing the sleep to take her, the only thoughts in her head which mattered were those of her traveling companion in his shiny black jacket.


    The darkness of night, the blissful slumber of the two traveling companions cloaked them from any observance. Slowly, the wraiths make their way to the clearing in which the two young friends sleep. Their cloaks are hiding any features in which could possibly show any humanity.


    His father having just made pancakes, Will sat at the table. ¡°How has your trip been? Have you made any friends yet?¡± Jonathan said with a playful gleam in his eyes. Will only shrugged as he checked his phone. There was only one message from Bianca. With excitement, Will clicked it open. Looking at the contents, Will became confused. It only had two words yet he could feel the urgency¡ªWAKE UP!


    As Will read the words, he felt an icy dread. At first, he thought it was just because of the urgency of the message though he began to shiver. Slowly, he woke up to see the source of the chill. As he slowly rose, he saw them.


    The five wraiths made a circle around the two of them. Though it wasn''t like last time, Michael was nowhere to be seen. Will knew that this time, the fight was completely up to him. All the training he had done for the past four months would have to do.


    Will jumped out of his sleeping bag summoning his flames; Will thrust himself between the now awake Maya and the closest wraith.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The wraiths started to close in their positions, trying to trap Will within. He managed to grab Maya and make a break for an opening before they succeeded. The moment Will left the circle he summoned the largest flame he could make, easily large enough to engulf all of the wraiths. As he sent it down, he saw each one caught ablaze. Within an instant, Will grabbed Maya and ran. ¡°Will, who are those people?¡± She called out to him. Will was in his own world, he had to do something in order to protect Maya.


    As they ran, Will could hear the sound of swords being removed from sheaths. He dared not look back for fear of them catching him. Suddenly, he felt a cold tingle on his leg. He had no idea what it was so he kept going, but soon his movement had become labored. He looked down to see he was bleeding. The five wraiths had already taken their positions once more.


    Will knew he couldn''t run anymore, the adrenaline was the only thing keeping him on his feet as he looked at the cut on his leg. A dark red puddle had already formed beneath him, and he knew he would have to do something about them, or he would pass out from loss of blood. Doing the only thing he could think of, he summoned yet again the largest flame he had and condensed it. Will thought of a minigun and the power they had, he allowed his flame to throw out smaller flames of the same potency of fifty caliber rounds at the wraiths though as soon as they came close, they lost their form. Will couldn''t give up quite yet as he knew Maya''s life depended on him succeeding.


    One wraith stepped forward. It put its sword back in its scabbard before walking to Will. Though the opponent was unarmed, Will could only think of the battle he saw Michael get into all those months ago. He had fended off the attacks of the wraiths chill with his own flame. Will had trained his own flame to such an extent that he shouldn''t have had a problem keeping up, but the closer the wraith became, the smaller Will''s flame became.


    Not taking a chance of them getting closer to Maya, Will launched one of his flames to the wraith. He believed, while the cloaked monster tried to dodge the flame, he would have an opening to attack with another flame.


    The wraith, however, allowed the flame to hit, and as the inferno engulfed him, an arm came out to grab for Will. Knowing what a touch from the black cloak meant, Will dig his foot in the ground to stop his approach and side stepped his assailant.


    The flames in which seemed to be eating away at the cloak suddenly started dissipating, almost as if they were being devoured by the chill being emitted from the wraith. Within moments to Will''s astonishment and horror, his flames were gone and not a single mark could be seen on the hooded figure.


    Will grabbed Maya once more, they were about to make a break for it when the wraith from before blocked his movements.


    Again, a hand went for Will which he sluggishly swiped away, his movements were driven by fear rather than his usual confidence. Trying once more to get Maya out, Will frantically ran to try and find an opening within the formation of wraiths. Whenever he tried another angle, a wraith comes up to block him.


    Inch by inch, the cloaks closed in on the now nearly defenseless Will. His hopes of survival being drowned out within each step they took. The more they closed in on him, the smaller his flame became.


    Within moments, Will was too cold to stay on his feet and fell to the ground, and then the wraiths surrounded him, giving him no space to escape. The closer they became, the more hopelessness crept into Will''s heart. Soon there was nothing he could do as he went to his knees; the cloaks were in a tight circle around him. One by one, they each took out chains, it didn''t seem as though they were planning on him walking out without them. They laid two parallel on the ground, Will could only stare out into nothing as their cold hands reached toward him, laying him flat on the chains.


    ¡°WILL! DON''T GIVE UP! YOU CAN FIGHT THEM!¡± Maya screamed as she too was being wrapped up. Will was glad he could do nothing but stare into the sky; he couldn''t stand the idea of looking his companion in the eyes while showing such weakness and despair. He wished he could just get knocked out again, that way her screams had no hold on him.


    Soon the screams died down as he heard a gasp for air followed by a gurgling sound. Everything became quiet for Will as he tried to look around. As he did, his gaze swept across a wrapped up Maya. Seeing as though the wraiths couldn''t silence her, they instead thrust a sword into the chains.


    Maya''s eyes shined at Will. She was barely conscious, but she still had enough life left to smile at him. ¡°Thank you¡± was the only whisper that came out before her eyes lost their shine. Will looked at the lifeless smile that never left her. Will allowed himself to look up at the sky once more. He had failed to protect Maya, the one thing he had trained all that time for. The wraiths clearly outmatched him.


    Allowing himself to slip into darkness, Will continuously heard Maya screaming within his mind, begging him not to give up. Whether he looked to her or not, the image of her lifeless smile haunted him, making him remember her promise to him before they left. He had let her in, and now she was gone, taken away by the very creatures he was running from.


    Now as he was wrapped tightly in his own cocoon of chains, the five black figures dragged him by a single chain sticking out of his entrapment. Only looking up, Will tried to ignore the lifeless corpse that was left behind. There was nothing more he could do, his ignorance of power had left him utterly broken and defeated. Whatever lay ahead of him was what he deserved.


    As Will resigned himself to his fate, he heard a clang of metal hitting the chain with a hint of flame. Before he could register what was happening, a midnight black cloak covered his vision as he felt himself being pulled inside the cloak, the last thing he heard was Maya¡¯s frantic screams inside his head before everything went silent.

 Chapter 12: Strength of Resolve

    Comfortable in his blanket of darkness, still wrapped up in chains, Will stared up at nothing. No sounds could be heard save for the screaming inside his own mind. Will had no strength left, had no will to move, to question. He lay in his bindings without so much as to question how this all happened.


    Maya was screaming inside his head, her pleas of release echoing in the corners of his mind. The lifeless smile she gave haunted him with each breath he took. The screams of freedom kept him bound in fear and regret as he knew he could do nothing, he couldn''t move, he couldn''t face the wraiths. How could he face his mother knowing that she gave birth to a coward? Will was content in staying in the darkness within his own mind, the only place in which he could find shelter from the burning pain of defeat.


    The blackness was short-lived however. Within a few minutes, which felt like an eternity, the blanket came off of Will. He once more found himself staring up at the sky. He didn''t question the time, the stars were out and that was the only thing that registered to him. The same darkness of the blanket only specks of light within it.


    ¡°Are you just going to lie there all night?¡± A familiar voice asked as Will heard the shuffling of feet through the grass.


    Michael stared down at the hopeless teenager wrapped in chains. His face showed nothing. Will couldn''t find the strength to care; he just stared through the man to the stars above. He just wished to be forgotten in his shell, to never again have to think of what a failure he was. He couldn''t dare to think about what had happened to the only person of this world he opened up to.


    With his mouth curled in disgust, Michael gave a swift yet strong kick to the center of the chains, connecting to Will''s side. The kick was enough to roll Will over one full flip around until he landed once more on his back, sending him into a coughing spasm.


    ¡°This is your strength?¡± Michael spat, hate so intense in his eyes. ¡°This is what I''ve struggled to save?¡± He roared as Will evened his breath. He looked over to the man, his daze so rudely interrupted.


    ¡°I''m done. I''m clearly not built for this world,¡± Will retorted. ¡°Either you send me back and forget what you thought I was capable of or just kill me, I don''t care anymore.¡± He had nothing more to say as he fell back into his world of silence.


    ¡°You are a disgrace to your father''s name and your mother''s love.¡± Michael stared down at the defeated youth with regretful eyes. Whatever he had planned for Will, it wouldn''t work without his cooperation, his anger, his resolve.


    William just lay on the ground, if the words fazed him, he didn''t show it. ¡°Your friend Maya deserved the death she received with your attitude,¡± Michael said in a matter-of-fact. Looking down, Michael saw the chains twitch ever so slightly. ¡°If you think you can''t save anyone, you''ll only make my job easier.¡± Will looked at Michael finally, his eyes shown with hate. ¡°I''ll just go back to your world and torture your father for the weakness of his son, and then I''ll kill your moth¡ª


    Before he could finished his sentence, Will found a burst of strength. The darkness in which gave him salvation was blinded by a ruby light. The chains burst into flames as his miserable captive roared in anger. As the chains gave way, Michael jumped to the side to avoid links of chain which fired off like a grenade. Looking toward the beginning of the blast, a bright red flame was surrounding a now-standing Will. His eyes were like darts of pure anger shooting toward Michael.


    Will felt a strength that he had never felt before. This man had not only disrespected the memory of his friend but also threatened the life of his parents. He was going to die a horrible death. Will wouldn''t have it any other way; he fed his needs to his flames which in turn became bigger.


    Changing the shape of his aura, Will transferred the large flame to his fists, engulfing them instantly. With a random surge of strength, Will charged forward to the source of his hate, a man who was now drawing his sword from his pocket.


    Will, now completely enraged by the man in front of him, drew back his arm, ready for a flaming punch hoping to beat the comments out of him. He would accept nothing less than this man''s death by cremation.


    Michael dodged Will''s approach by side stepping to the left, the flames barely enough singe a hair on his face and then hit Will in the back with the flat of his blade. ¡°Congratulations, you left yourself wide open, no wonder the cloaks killed your girlfriend,¡± Michael said with a chuckle.


    Will roared with hatred. He didn''t know how much longer he could hold onto his sanity before Michael snapped it. He felt like the flames were taking over his actions slowly but surely. The more Michael goaded him, the more he gave himself over to the flame. Will was almost gone after he saw Maya once again with her lifeless smile in his mind.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The flames on Will''s hands turned even darker of red, resembling more blood than ruby, slowly creeping up to his elbows. With a barely human shriek, Will charged forward once more. Instead of trying to hit the man, he punched fist sized flames toward him. Michael side stepped each one, some hit the trees leaving fist sized searing holes in the trunks. The field in which he had been transported to now looked like a battle zone. Flames punched holes in the ground in each place Michael was just moments before the flames hit.


    Putting the sword away seeing as though he didn''t need it for dodging, Michael dodged the flames, each one dodged took another step closer to Will.


    Will was almost gone, lost to his rage. If he couldn''t take out the cloaks, at least he could take out the man mocking him, the man that took him from his world, from his loved ones, and launched him into this world of pain. If he could just see this man suffer as he was suffering now, he would be able to die with at least a little less hurt.


    While Will took his random shots at Michael, the latter just laughed while dodging each attack and taking a small advance each time. With every step forward, Will retreated a step back, beginning a dance between the two. ¡°I wonder if killing Jonathan will be this easy, if so, maybe I''ll just head there now!¡± Michael laughed as he saw the flames grow past Will''s shoulders. Will finally allowed himself to be fully taken by his rage. Michael watched as the usual flaming rage slowed down suddenly, now they looked calm in a way. Will''s face changed with the flames, instead of the fury his eyes had shown, they now had a calm look to them. Instead of retreating back, he held his place in front of Michael.


    Will put his arms down and closed his eyes. The flames from his arms dancing slowly above his head. His mind was completely silent, not a whisper. Slowly, he opened his eyes to stare at Michael with calculating eyes. With his mind finally empty of all thoughts, the steady flames grew in size, now a foot over his head. Will raised one arm, pointing at Michael. Shooting one fist sized flame after another, his target still evading his every hit. Instead of losing his control on the flames that had been shot, he began stopping them in their flight and rearranging them around Michael.


    After a minute of consistency, the flames stopped their departure. Will put his arm down, now looking at the no longer laughing Michael. He was now surrounded with three hundred and sixty degrees around with hundreds of flames. Will raised the palm of his hand, slowly closing it. The flames reacted to his motion and slowly started to close the distance, closing Michael into an inferno-like cage. With the distance now just a few feet from his attacker, Will allowed few of the flames to jet toward Michael who now had no way of dodging. Will could smell burning flesh by the time he opened his palm and swirled his finger as if stirring a pot. The flames rotated to the motion of his finger.


    With a smooth rotation of the flames, Will lowered his hand and walked calmly over to Michael who was now treating burn marks. Will allowed him some time to treat himself, knowing full well that this man knew a thing or two more of the magic in Crystallia, he felt as though he didn''t really need to hold back. As he stared at Michael, so many ways of killing him flashed in his mind. His flame demanded justice for the wrong this man had caused him. He could feel the need within his new power, begging to deal the final blow.


    Will once again swirled his finger, allowing the flame to pick up speed again. He watched the man''s eyes grow wide. Will noticed that they were not wide in fear as they should be, but instead in excitement. He didn''t care too much what this man could have been happy about, it didn¡¯t matter to him. In Will''s mind, the man was already dead. With his resolve in check, Will continued walking toward Michael.


    His pace was slow and collected, not as hurried as a man of his rage should be. Michael watched him close the distance within his flaming prison. His gaze swept over Will almost as if he was in awe. ¡°Thank you, William, you have finally awoken.¡± Will stopped when he heard the man speak.


    ¡°What do you mean I''ve awoken? And why would you thank the one that''s going to kill you?¡± Will said in a calm tone. ¡°My flame demands the justice only your blood can give.¡±


    Will circled the man like a cat would circle its prey. He would give no opening to the man that would disgrace him straight to his face. There was no forgiveness for someone who would shame a man''s entire family just for the actions of one. Nothing would resolve the issue short of the man¡¯s head.


    ¡°William, please, it should be obvious to you by now,¡± Michael said in an excited tone. ¡°Your blood has finally awoken. With the right training, you will finally be able to talk some sense into that damned Crimson King!" Michael said, finally seeming to lose it.


    ¡°What does my blood have to do with the Crimson King?¡± Will asked while widening the cage ever so slightly. If he was going to kill Michael, he may as well get all the information he could out of the man before he did. ¡°Be quick, I don''t really have time for your games,¡± he said with a look of distaste. The only thing this man had ever done was make a mockery of him. He thrust Will into a world he never knew and expected him to survive. He thought of Maya and what she would be doing if he had just left her with the guards, that life was still better than no life.


    Michael continued to spout out nonsense though Will could see the man had not really lost his senses. He could see the cold calculating gleam in his eyes as he stared at Will. Michael seemed to have calmed down as he stared at the young man. Within his cage, Michael only said one other thing before becoming quiet.


    ¡°This is the William to whom I saved,¡± he said with a faint smile. ¡°This is Crimson Prince.¡±

 Chapter 13: The Heir

    Upon hearing his name, yet not his name, the once confident Will stopped his approach. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± He said in a quiet voice, not trusting his ears.


    ¡°Prince William Ragnos II, also known as the Crimson Prince, Heir to the throne of Ebonhart, Crown Capital of Crystallia,¡± Michael announced with a formal bow.


    ¡°You have it wrong and you know it,¡± Will said with a shaky voice. ¡°I''m from Minnesota back in my world, my father is Jonathan Carter.¡± As he said his father''s name, his confidence returned ever so slightly. There was no way the man could possibly be right. Will knew he was born in Minnesota, and he knew Jonathan Carter was his father. He had been there his entire life; anything Michael said could not change that.


    Michael chuckled to himself within his cage. ¡°Where in Minnesota were you born?¡± He asked, ¡°Have you seen any pictures of you as an infant?¡± He continued, not looking as if he was going to stop anytime soon. ¡°Surely your father has shown you pictures of you as a child.¡±


    The more Michael said, the lesser confidence Will held on to. ¡°Just stop!¡± He shouted, not able to hear any more from this man. ¡°I''m sure my father just hadn''t gotten around to showing me since we''ve been moving so much,¡± he retorted, trying to justify the ignorance evidently growing in his mind. He couldn''t believe Michael not even for an instant. The man only wanted to get out of the cage, he wouldn''t let that happen.


    ¡°And why exactly have you been moving ever since your mother left? Has your father given you an explanation? Did he put out a missing person¡¯s report? What about his job? How did he come about so much money as a traveling author? Have you read any of his work before? Money doesn''t exactly appear out of nowhere you know, William.¡± Will couldn''t take it anymore; he put his hands over his ears, shaking his head. None of it truly made sense, and he knew he had always questioned everything that Michael had just said. With the words now spoken, a door opened within Will. Not a door of power, but a door leading to answers for the questions he had been asking his whole life. Will felt his argument slipping from his reach. Every question that was asked was one that he had asked himself numerous times. How could Jonathan afford to move all the time? He had never truly seen his father pick up a notebook and pen, why didn''t he ever get to see his work? Will couldn''t stop the doubts from forming, picking away at the thoughts he already had of Jonathan. Soon the image that was left was not that of his father, but as his guardian.


    ¡°If you still don''t believe me, let me out of this prison, so I can lead you to the truth,¡± Michael said, his voice soft enough to where Will could be comforted.


    Will didn''t know what to do. He had spent a lot of his aura to trap Michael in the cage; it also took a considerable amount of power just to keep it up. If he let him go, all of what he just went through was for nothing. All of the insults Michael had thrown at him would be practically forgiven. Could he really accept that? He had even gone as far as insulting the memory of Maya.


    Will was at a crossroads. Either he killed Michael where he was and stayed the William Carter he had always been, or he let him out, possibly changing the life he had always known. He had never really put too much stock into the phrase ''ignorance is bliss,'' instead he had always yearned for the truth. If Michael had just been goading him to let him go, then it was a pretty compelling story.


    Will couldn''t be so conceited as to think he would stay the same William Carter he was at the time by killing Michael. Jonathan etched it in his mind at an early age that all life was precious. If he were to take away a life without knowing full well of the guilt of the person in question, his hands would be tainted for the rest of his life.


    He had to make his decision; if there was just a shred of truth in what Michael was saying, he had to take a chance. Reluctantly, his hand came up to his chest. Slowly bringing it down, the cage came down with it. By the time his hand was back to his waist, it was just him and Michael standing just feet apart.


    With a sad smile, Michael closed the distance between them. ¡°Follow me, William, there is much to discuss.¡±


    The man walked past Will and continued further. When Will turned around to follow, he saw a cozy little cottage he could have sworn wasn''t there just moments ago. ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± Michael said as he held the door open for him.


    Will didn''t know what to do. He had just let his enemy go, and now he was about to head into his house? The same man that threatened the life of his mother and father, the same man that had just finished calling him weak, and the man who had also blamed Maya''s death on him? Will couldn''t turn his back to Michael; as soon as he saw through this act, he would put him back in his cage. If the man betrayed him again, it would be proof enough to ensure his hands stayed untainted.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Walking inside the small building, Will took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. He noticed a small bed in the corner, a simple dresser, a table in the center with two chairs, a chest, pots and pans which hung in a corner away from everything else, a bookshelf full of books Will didn''t recognize any authors to, and a recliner next to the bookshelf. None of Michael''s living arrangements grabbed his attention more than the pictures on the walls. Every wall of the little house was covered in rows of them. Some of them were of an infant held in a woman''s arms and others looked like soldiers just coming back from a deployment. Will instantly picked out Jonathan from the picture; he had an arm around Michael almost as if they were brothers.


    The woman was what instantly grabbed Will''s attention. He would know that smile from anywhere, and just to confirm his suspicions, he saw the same smile every time he was ready to go to school, or every time they had a movie night. He would recognize the woman of whom he spent his entire life with from anywhere. Staring back at him in a picture on the wall was his mother. She was in a field smiling with that beautiful smile he had dreamed of for so long. Next to that one was one of the same scenery, yet she was holding a child with blue eyes.


    ¡°Your eyes didn''t turn hazel until you were three,¡± Michael said as he saw Will''s gaze turn to the picture. ¡°You wouldn''t remember me from so long ago, but we all lived here for a time when you were younger.¡± His eyes looked much younger, much happier as he told the confused young man beside him. Michael talked as if he had known Will his whole life, but so far as he knew, the man had only become his protector recently. Something didn''t make sense, and Will was afraid he knew the answer; he just wished he didn''t need to ask.


    Almost afraid to open his mouth, Will dared to test his voice. ¡°Who are you really to my family?¡± He asked in a quiet voice. ¡°How could you possibly have these pictures?¡± Michael remained silent and moved toward a portion of the wall in which was covered with a blanket. With a sigh, he brought it down to reveal another portion of his pictures.


    Will walked over to the wall. At first he just saw him and his mother, and then he saw another person. A young man, he couldn''t have been older than twenty-six holding a baby in his arms, the same baby in which was in all the other pictures, the baby that was supposed to be him. ¡°I am Michael Devereux, and I''m your mother''s brother.¡± Will stared at him in disbelief. ¡°I''m your uncle, William.¡±


    A lot of things suddenly made sense to Will. Fourteen years ago, the Crimson King had lost his wife and his son. Isabella could have used a portal from Ebonhart to go to Earth with him. While she visited her brother, she met Jonathan. Something must have happened between the two of them to stay together. But a few other things still didn''t add up.


    ¡°Why did my mother leave Jonathan?¡± He asked. Michael looked both relieved and depressed that Will finally came to reason.


    ¡°The wraiths tracked her.¡± He started. Will sat down at the table to listen to the part of his life he had been waiting to hear. ¡°Your mother left the kingdom because there was an assassination attempt on you and her. Had she not left and found me, both of you would have been long dead. While meeting up with me, Jonathan instantly took a liking to her. Knowing she needed a new life, she married him and raised you with a surrogate father. When she disappeared from the kingdom, your father was mad with grief. He locked himself in his chambers and allowed his advisers to rule for him.¡± Michael took a brief pause to allow Will to let it all sink in. ¡°The advisers became power hungry and contracted the wraiths. They have been waiting all this time in order to kill all in line for the throne, that way when they kill the king, they would inherit the kingdom.¡±


    Not truly wanting to talk again, Will just stared at the man. ¡°Don''t think this revelation is over quite yet,¡± Michael said with a small chuckle. He moved past Will in an unhurried pace, giving Will a little more time to think as he walked over to the far side of the wall.


    Will didn''t know exactly what else Michael could do to mess with his mind. He said the revelations weren''t over yet. What he meant to say was there was still a little bit of hope left in Will''s heart that maybe he was mistaken. Maybe somewhere deep inside, Will clung to the idea that Jonathan was his biological father. Will watched his uncle walk over to the far corner, much further from all the other pictures.


    Michael stopped at the last picture, gesturing Will to follow. Seeing as though Will''s life had just been torn apart, there wasn''t much else that could possibly be done to make matters any more complicated. Will walked slowly over to Michael like before when he had made the flame prison though this time it was for different reason. His face no longer held the confident demeanor it did then; instead it looked as if he were an egg, ready to crack under any more pressure.


    Arriving at his uncle''s side, Will felt a comforting arm go over his shoulder. Slowly, Michael pointed to a picture that stood out from the rest. Will''s mother instead of having a simple dress on was suited in a ruby red dress, a necklace adorned with rubies, and a crown. On her lap sat the baby William, and to the right sat a proud man wearing a ruby red robe adorned with precious jewels and a large crown adorned with every color of jewel Will could think of.


    Will could easily pick out many features in which he had in common with the man. The high cheekbones, the stern eyes, even the hair was the same color. Will felt as though he was staring at an older version of himself. After seeing the resemblance, there was no other way to deny the truth which was staring him in the face.


    ¡°This is your father,¡± Michael said with a soft whisper, ¡°King William Ragnos, King of Ebonhart, Crown Capital of Crystallia.¡±

 Chapter 14: Responsibility and Lessons

    After a few hours of clearing his head, Will finally felt some clarity. He was William Ragnos II, yet that didn''t change who he was, who he was raised to be. Coming to this conclusion, he stood up from the tree and stretched. Though it was only a few hours of meditating, he also had a few sores and bruises from the previous battles.


    Looking at one of the welts he had received, he was reminded of the total loss and humiliation in which he had received, and the loss he had suffered. More than anything, he remembered the sound of Mayas screams.


    Knowing the truth of his origins, he now knew why the black cloaks had been after him, at least to an extent. Being a royal blood was like putting a sign on his back saying ¡°Hey, I''m important capture me!¡± Maya died because she had been with him when they came. Will couldn''t stop himself from thinking how completely helpless he was after four months of training. If they were that strong, could he ever hope to defeat them?


    Will shuddered at the thought of how badly he was beaten, in both body and spirit by the time the wraiths had him. What could be done? They were too strong for him to handle, compared to them, he looked like a traveling act. He needed someone who had experience in the flame to teach him. It was no longer something he could do on his own. The books in which he read couldn''t compare to the power Crystallia had in reality.


    As he stood under the tall pine, Will looked at his hands. Replaying the death of his friend Maya over and over in his head, he no longer felt grief, no longer took pity on himself. He instead felt an intense anger and a thirst to right the wrongs that had befallen her. I need to get stronger, he thought as he clenched his hands into fists.


    Steeling himself for what he knew he had to do, Will walked back to the small cottage. Sitting at the small table in the center of the cottage, his uncle had a bowl of stew and a cup of tea steaming at the other side with a welcoming chair awaiting his nephew.


    ¡°I need to get stronger,¡± Will said plainly, repeating the words he had just confirmed in his mind. Michael saw the determination that shown in his nephew''s eyes. ¡°Maya died at the hands of those freaks because she was with me, and I was too inexperienced to fight back,¡± he looked down at his clenched fists. ¡°I have to put things right.¡±


    Michael took a sip from his own tea, his gaze never leaving his nephew''s. ¡°It will be long and difficult, there will be times in which you will wish to give in,¡± he said as he placed his tea in front of him. ¡°Never lose your resolve, your reason for getting stronger, and I promise you I will make you a force Crystallia has never seen before.¡± Will saw a look of success within Michael''s eyes as if he had planned the whole thing.


    ¡°You allowed yourself to be captured by my flame, didn''t you?¡± He asked his uncle. It didn''t add up that Michael could stay on par with the wraiths, but he fell for a cage trap, and he couldn''t get out with Will''s help. Will was almost certain that he had been holding back the entire time. The fight was more like a bit of fun toward his uncle. Will remembered the time Michael had his sword to him, he could have struck him, but instead, he used the flat of his blade to smack Will.


    ¡°If I didn''t, would we even be having this conversation?¡± Will thought about it for a moment. How defeated he was before, it would have been easier for Michael to make him angry other than try to cheer him up. If he had just broken out of the cage, Will wouldn''t have trusted him. Michael had to be sure Will felt he had all the power in the situation in order to get his resolve back. Without that, the training Michael could put him through wouldn''t make any difference if he wasn''t willing to fight.


    Nodding, Will waited for his uncle to continue. He would take on any challenge to right his wrong, to avenge Maya, and not involve himself with anyone else from Crystallia. Knowing who he was now, Will knew the risks of having someone close to him.


    ¡°I''ll not train you without incentive though,¡± Michael said with a thoughtful expression, ¡°if you master your training, I''ll show you the teleportation spell I used to bring you here.¡±


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    Will''s serious expression turned to one of astonishment. ¡°You would trust me not to leave for good and go back home?¡±


    His eyes widened when his uncle broke into laughter. Staring at the fully grown business looking man who had always been serious and held together thrown into a laughing fit, Will didn''t know whether he was more astonished by what his uncle said or the reaction to his response.


    Within a few minutes, the calm and collected uncle finished his comedy and returned to his natural seriousness besides a small twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Sorry, William, but I couldn''t help myself,¡± he said with a light heart. ¡°What would going home accomplish? If you stayed long enough, the wraiths would be on your trail once more, and you''ve experienced what that would do to your loved ones.¡±


    Will instantly thought of Maya. Was he willing to put Leo through the same thing? What if he visited Bianca and the wraiths happened upon him? He shuddered inwardly. He wasn''t willing to risk it, and Michael knew it.


    Seeing Will''s resignation before him, Michael cleared his throat. ¡°I''m not worried about you staying there, William, I know you care too deeply about Jonathan and your friends,¡± he started. ¡°I give you the opportunity for two reasons. First is because it''s the easiest way of transportation within all worlds, and secondly is you will be an adult this coming month, and I see no reason why you shouldn''t have a choice.¡±


    Since Will got to Crystallia, he had no sense of time or day since his phone finally died a few days back, so it was a surprise to hear that a half a year had passed since he had left home.


    ¡°Before we begin our training, is there any way for me to see my family? Just to know they are all right?¡± Will asked hopeful. He hadn''t heard from Jonathan in such a long time, and he was worried how he was doing.


    With an understanding smile, Michael nodded. Raising the palm of his hand, a tiny orange flame erupted forth. Moving it up to his pointer finger, he flicked it to one of his pictures. Will was confused why he would deface one of his pictures. He looked toward what he thought would be a ruined frame, instead he saw his dad.


    Walking over to the picture, Will stared deeply into the frame. Jonathan was sitting at the dining room table, drinking a cup of coffee. In the chair next to him sat a familiar object. It was the bag in which Will brought with him to Crystallia!


    Will looked questioningly at the frame as well as searching around him. ¡°The bag was spelled to return to its owner upon being lost,¡± Michael explained as he came up behind Will. ¡°You lost it during your fight with the wraiths.¡±


    Will thought back to the last time he used the bag, the time when he setup a camp the last night with Maya. Yet again a sharp pang of regret welled up inside him. The bag had gotten him through many rough times.


    ¡°How did you make your flame do that? I''ve only been able to use it in fights, I had no idea it was used for anything else,¡± Will asked, never looking away from the picture.


    ¡°I suppose that''s an easy enough lesson to start with,¡± Michael said as he turned to the door, waving his nephew to follow him.


    Once outside, they took position facing each other with a few feet apart. ¡°Summon a flame, and we will begin,¡± Michael said in a voice that could only be considered as a voice of a teacher. Will nodded as he felt for the aura around him. Circulating it to his upturned hand, he waited for the next instruction. ¡°Good, now hit me with it,¡± he said with a smirk.


    Will gave him a questioning look. He didn''t want to hurt his uncle, but he did get clear instructions. He learned the hard way from Jonathan to listen when he was told to do something. He let loose the ball of ruby gold flame toward his uncle with a halfhearted thought.


    Michael stood his ground while the ball closed the space between them. Within the second the ball left his hand, Will worried about hurting his uncle though when it hit him, it did absolutely nothing more than disappear on his suit without even a scorch mark.


    ¡°Your flame acts on your intent,¡± Michael said while brushing off his tie, ¡°so if you have no intent to harm me, you won''t.¡± His uncle let out a sigh as if he just confirmed Will was no longer looking at him in a menacing manner.


    ¡°Flames in this world are not just fire to destroy. They are our will made visible. If it is your intent to destroy, you will lay waste to anything in your path. If you wish to heal, your flame will knit any wound.¡± Will listened intently to his uncle while thinking of the many possibilities in which the revelation held.


    ¡°So you can also use it to search for someone?¡± Will asked.


    ¡°Anyone not blocked by their own or someone else''s flame can be found. There are ways to block tracking, for instance, the dog tags Jonathan gave you before you left have my flame within.¡±


    ¡°Take out your phone for a second,¡± Michael said as he closed the distance between himself and Will. His nephew did what he asked and opened up his inside pocket and withdrew his smartphone. ¡°Good, now think of someone who you wish to see within the reflection of the phone.¡±


    Will could only think of one person he would like to see. Ever since his phone lost the last percent of its life, he had missed seeing Bianca. Not needing any more instruction, Will summoned a pin sized flame and cast it off his finger to his phone. Within seconds, he was staring at his girlfriend.


    At the moment, Bianca was laying on her bed, looking through her phone at pictures of her and Will. Wearing her pink almost too short shorts and blue t shirt, Will felt a pang of longing, he wanted desperately to speak with her. ¡°We will see each other again,¡± he said as quietly as he could. Suddenly, her full length of brown hair was out of her eyes as she looked around her room.


    ¡°Will?¡± He heard her ask surprisingly. As soon as he heard her, he looked at his uncle in surprise. ¡°How do I turn this off?¡± Not wanting his girlfriend to hear him any longer, it was odd enough to have a voice come out of nowhere, even worse for it to be one who had not talked to her in so long.


    ¡°WILL, WHERE ARE YOU?¡± Bianca yelled around her room, trying to follow her boyfriend¡¯s voice.


    Will looked hopelessly at his phone screen while she was obviously having a panic attack. ¡°I will see you soon, Bianca, just wait for me,¡± he said before putting his phone in his pocket and cleared his mind. Will instantly knew the connection was severed.


    Now completely finished with his request, Will turned his attention to Michael.


    His uncle was busy chuckling once again, obviously amused by Will''s earlier problem. Knowing it was time, he put a hand on his nephew''s shoulder. ¡°Shall we begin your basic training then?¡±

 Chapter 16: Those Left Behind

    Hearing the last words her boyfriend said, Bianca Jean was still frantically looking around her room for the source of his voice. It felt as though he were just next to her on the bed. It was way too real for it to just be her imagination.


    It had been practically five months since she heard Will''s voice, but she couldn''t have mistaken that voice. It was the same one she had heard whispered in her ear countless times before he moved.


    Her phone was still in her hands, she called the only person she could think of to call. Dialing Leo''s number, she prayed with every ring that he would answer.


    ¡°Ello?¡± answered a not at all tired voice.


    ¡°I heard Will,¡± Bianca blurted out before she could think of what to say. Though it sounded like she was going crazy, she hoped that maybe Leo would take her seriously. She knew he had been trying to keep tabs on Will since he left for Colorado.


    ¡°Hearing voices, Bee? After so long of not hearing him I should have known this would happen,¡± a cocky response answered from the line. Bianca could have expected a response like that. Leo had a personality where he couldn''t necessarily turn off his sarcasm, but in some cases, that was why she and Will hung out with him. After all, normal was overrated.


    ¡°Haha, Lee, get dressed and meet me at Java Joint,¡± Bianca said as she hung up the phone; throwing on a pair of jeans and a pink tank with a jean jacket, she ran down the stairs of her house and left. Luckily a few months ago, she finally saved up enough money for a car. Her mom was fine with putting down half for a decent Chevy Malibu.


    Bianca got in her car and got the keys out of her pocket. It could have been a sign from him, she thought as she cranked on the ignition. At least a way for him to tell us he''s okay. She knew how she sounded and it wasn''t like her usual self, but when Will stopped contacting her, she tried everything. She called Jonathan''s phone which went straight to voicemail. She had Leo try tracking him down via GPS and nothing came up. It was like Will just completely vanished off the face of the earth.


    The car ride to downtown Saint Cloud took no more than ten minutes taking the road past Tech High School and the bowling alley. Bianca soon saw Leo''s old banged up white Buick parked in front of Java Joint. Oddly enough, Leo got his car long before she did. Will still didn''t have one seeing as though his dad would have made sure he had at least a thousand in his account for insurance, and the first payment upfront before he could get one. Bianca looked at the old beat up car for a minute; she remembered the trails they took, the branches of the trees on either side scraping each side of the car. Leo didn''t care about the look of the car; he only cared that he could take it on their numerous adventures. Taking herself out of her thoughts, she headed toward Java Joint.


    Entering the coffee shop, Bianca was hit by a hint of nostalgia. This was the place the three of them hung out in most of the time. The quiet atmosphere in the daytime and the bands at night, it was the perfect place for three teenagers to spend their time.


    Bianca remembered the time Leo was acting his normal goofy self playing the tambourine to a guitarist¡¯s song, making a fool out of himself while Will recorded it. Bianca would just be on the side laughing at the two kids while they made a mockery of themselves. That night, she laughed herself to death on the drive home.


    The place hadn''t changed in years though it was quieter than it used to be. It was ten o''clock at night and there was no band, just music playing in the background. Usually having to fight through a crowd of dancers to get to the seating, Bianca walked through the empty dance floor and found Leo seated at the usual table wearing his usual black, white, and red mass effect hoodie and baggy blue jeans, his unruly hair going just barely past his glasses. Even if it had been a while since she had seen him last, he didn''t really look all that different. He had the usual laptop on the table, no doubt searching the Internet using the shops Wi-Fi.


    Seeing the table only made Bianca miss Will more. It was nice to see Leo again, they had become fast friends. Despite his appearance, Leo had always been friends with the cheerleaders and football team in high school. He was always outgoing and spontaneous and was also the one to introduce her to Will. He had always said that being a part of everything was worthwhile. No matter where he went, he was always well-informed. Regardless of his social standing, everyone seemed to like and trust him.


    ¡°I heard Will. I swear I''m not making this up,¡± Bianca said as she slid into the opposite booth of Leo. ¡°I don''t know how, and I don''t know where from, but it was like he was right next to me.¡± She had hoped that driving to meet him would give her a little time to think about what to say that didn''t sound crazy, unfortunately, ten minutes wasn''t enough.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I thought we both agreed that he was abducted by aliens months ago,¡± Leo said without cracking a smile. ¡°We haven''t heard from him in half a year, he must really be living it up in Colorado.¡± Looking up from his laptop, Leo gave Bianca just a hint of a smile.


    Bianca rolled her eyes. Leo always had a sense of humor he wore on his sleeve, but she could tell he missed Will just as badly as she did. ¡°You know he didn''t have a choice but to leave, his dad found another place,¡± she stated in a matter-of-fact. ¡°He wouldn''t ditch us and you know it, there''s something going on that we don''t know about.¡± Bianca had a feeling he wouldn''t have broken contact so easily unless something was going on. Will always had a knack for getting in trouble.


    Leo waved his hand at the waitress who seemed to be busy on the phone. ¡°Could we get a few cokes over here?¡± He yelled at the busy woman who raised a finger for patience. Nodding his head, Leo turned his attention back to his hopeless friend. After so long of not hearing from her boyfriend, she must finally be having a breakdown, he thought having nothing to say, he looked back down at his Facebook page. Of course he was worried about Will, but as long as he''d known him, he knew that he could take care of himself.


    Leo thought back to the kid he took off the soccer hill to hang out with. His eyes were completely spaced out as if he weren''t even present in his own body. Leo had instantly taken it upon himself to bring the kid back to reality. What started as spaceship quickly became kick ball. Bianca had joined the two of them later on in middle school which slowly brought Will out of his mind and into the actual world. After elementary school, Leo had always gone over to Will''s place to play his Xbox. When he finally got a car, the three of them had no limits. They would go to the state capital, seeing as though there was a burger joint they loved right next to the big house itself. They had gone to Mall of America countless times. Leo even picked Bianca and Will up right after Will got off work and drove to Minneapolis to watch the fireworks on the fourth of July.


    Leo sighed, of course he missed Will. He was the glue that held the three of them together, without him, it seemed like he was alone most of the time. What he wouldn''t give to be able to get in the car with the two of them and go off on another crazy adventure. It seems like forever ago, he thought as he looked at Bianca.


    ¡°If he wanted to get in contact with us, he could just pick up the phone,¡± he said with minor annoyance in his voice. ¡°Face it, Bee, we''ve been dumped, he''s probably got a new girl and a more interesting best friend to keep him company.¡± The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but he knew it wasn''t healthy for her to become so hung up on one person.


    ¡°I don''t and will never believe that,¡± Bianca said. She could never believe that Will would throw two lifelong relationships away, it wasn''t in his character. He had always been very supportive of the two of them. If they ever got in trouble with anyone, he would be there to fight for them. She and Leo were more family than his own family; she knew that if he could get in contact with them, he would.


    Looking back when they were in school, Will was always hard to approach. He always had the same blue jeans, white T-shirt, and black leather jacket on. With his long hair, he looked intimidating; no one really took the time to get to know him. Either he was sleeping in class or reading a book. Will always did love his magic.


    Bianca remembered all the times they went to the field behind his house; he would always have his phone with him. The one thing she had always noticed was the fact that it never rang. He rarely would text anyone, and he wasn''t a huge gamer. More often than not, Will would have his Kindle app in his phone so he could read just about anywhere. Whenever anyone came up to him and asked what he was reading, he would always reply ¡®a book.¡¯ It wasn''t as if he was trying to be rude, but Bianca knew that the books of magic were precious to him. Not many people would understand his obsession, but Bianca knew that it was an escape from reality. It was the only thing that kept him from lashing out at people. It took Bianca and Leo years to finally break through his shell and actually get him to open up. On the outside, he looked like a troubled youth, on the inside, he was just a softie.


    ¡°Just promise me you will keep your eyes open, Lee,¡± Bianca said with a worried look settling in her eyes, ¡°I know there''s something going on with Will, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°I think you are worried about nothing and seriously need some unwinding time,¡± Leo said with a smirk on his face.


    Bianca reached across the table and punched Leo''s arm. She was used to his witty comebacks, but she''d always make sure he paid for them later.


    ¡°Oww, hey, what was that for?¡± Leo cried out in indignation, ¡°I said you need unwinding time, that doesn''t mean I won''t keep a lookout!¡± He said while rubbing his arm. Clearly, he was just as upset about Will as she was. She looked at Leo with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Lee, it means a lot that you came out to talk to me,¡± she said honestly, ¡°we need to try to stick together more often just in case Will does pop up somewhere,¡± giggling to herself, she got up and ran to the door.


    ¡°Hey! What about your coke?¡± Leo yelled after her, but the door to Java had already been shut behind her.


    Leo stared at the now served two cokes and sighed. ¡°Dammit, Will, how long are you going to keep her waiting?¡± He whispered to himself as he picked up his drink.


    ¡°Not long, Lee, just a little more time.¡± Will''s voice replied out of nowhere. ¡°Keep her safe for me.¡±


    Leo jumped out of his seat looking around; seeing nothing, he sat down and took a long drink of his coke. ¡°You better be alright, man,¡± he said as quietly as he could. ¡°If not, I''ll raise you from the dead to kill you myself from all the grief you''ve put her through.¡± With that, he packed up his laptop and left for his car.

 Chapter 17: The Night before Training

    Over the next few days, Michael allowed Will to relax and prepare for his training. His reasoning was that it would make Jonathan''s training seem like day care, and he needed to be well rested.


    Though Will was nervous about his uncle''s ominous warning, he spent his days either meditating or checking on his friends with his phone. When he noticed that Leo and Bianca got together at the Java Joint, he couldn''t stop himself from listening. Feeling horrible for neglecting his friends and understanding how Leo felt, he was at least relieved that Bianca understood.


    Though they had been apart for so long, Bianca never left Will''s wavelength. She could always somehow know when he was in some sort of trouble or how he was feeling. The fact that he messed up and allowed her to hear him only made it worse.


    Seeing how she jumped at the sound of his voice, Will thought it was for the best for him to wait until she left before sending his message to Leo. He only hoped his best friend would believe it was him enough to do what he said. If not, maybe he would think it was his conscious. Will smiled at the thought. Maybe it was the aliens, he thought with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well don''t we seem relaxed tonight,¡± Michael said with a half smile. He had been watching Will most of his relaxation period. It had been a good way to get to know his nephew the right way instead of always following him back in the other world.


    Will looked back at Michael with a somewhat serious expression. ¡°My training starts tomorrow, right?¡± He asked as he got up from his tree. He was anxious to get the training started. The sooner he could get stronger, the sooner he could finally stand a chance against the wraiths.


    Michael smiled at his nephew. ¡°We can do a little training to get you started now if you want,¡± he said as Will stretched.


    ¡°I suppose a little training wouldn''t hurt anyone.¡± Will was already in a hurry to get his lessons started. The sooner he was done with them, the sooner he could avenge Maya. He would take anything Michael threw at him.


    ¡°Catch,¡± his uncle said as if reading his mind. A wooden sword flew in the air until Will caught it by the hilt. Looking at the piece of wood, Will could already tell where this was going. Taking a fighting stance, he waited for Michael to grab a sword of his own. Most of the books he read would start training out with swordplay, and he supposed he was in the right realm for it. Will looked at the sword with a sigh.


    Instead of doing what was expected, Michael picked a tree, sat down, and relaxed. ¡°I want you to do sword thrusts until I tell you to stop,¡± he said as Will stared at him dumbfounded. ¡°Didn''t you tell me you want to get stronger?¡± He asked with a playful expression which just quickly turned dark. ¡°Then do it.¡±


    Will wasn''t about to ask questions. He got his instructions and intended to follow them. Just as soon as Michael stopped talking, Will gripped the hilt with both hands and chopped downward. If Michael wanted him to do sword thrusts, he must have had a reason for instructing him to do so.


    ¡°What exactly was that?¡± Michael asked. ¡°Are you chopping wood or thrusting? You are right-handed, correct? Use your left leg for balance and bring your right leg forward as you swing to add power. Were you even taught swordplay?¡± His uncle quickly became the lazy instructor lounging at the base of the tree.


    Will rolled his eyes. Of course I didn''t learn this earlier, Will thought as he did what his uncle instructed him. I was instead taught how to shoot firearms. Will shortly regretted not taking up another extracurricular activity when Jonathan had asked.


    This doesn''t have anything to do with magic, Will thought as he continuously slashed the air with his wooden sword. Since it was a free lesson, he decided not to give Michael too much grief, there had to be a reason for everything he did.


    Within two hours of repetitive swinging, Will was beginning to be annoyed. Looking over at the tree, Michael had long since fallen asleep. Looking down at his sleeping instructor Will had no idea what he was doing. Why was he the only one taking this seriously? This must be a big joke to him or something, he thought as he brought the sword down one more time. Michael wasn''t even paying attention to form or the amount of power Will was putting into his thrusts. He could have been slacking, and he doubted his uncle would care. There was a clear distinct difference between his two trainers. Jonathan would have stayed awake for days to ensure Will was doing the right thing.


    ¡°Wake up, asshole! How long am I supposed to do this for?¡± Just as Will finished yelling, something was heading straight for him. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, his sword came up and blocked it. Staring at what the projectile was gave him a pause. Will was staring at a dagger sticking out of the hilt of his blade just inches from his hand. When he looked back at Michael, he was already on his feet. Will had a feeling if he did relax in this training, he could actually die. The dagger was headed right for his head before he deflected it. Wondering how exactly a few sword thrusts had given him those reflexes, Will just stared at his instructor with slightly more respect and a whole lot more fear.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Your arms are tired after a few hours of constant swinging, but you are able to block without your aura,¡± he said as he looked his nephew in the eye. ¡°Do you know why that is?¡±


    Will was slightly unnerved from the blade, so he didn''t respond other than a shake of his head, still staring at the dagger. ¡°It''s reflex, William, muscle memory. Strengthening your arms and your agility, you will be able to rely on more than just your flames.¡± Michael had taken a more serious tone with Will. He could tell that learning the basics might actually save his life one day.


    Will stood there for a minute, wrapping his head around what he learned. This world is about more than just magic, he thought as he dislodged the dagger from the sword. Looking down at it, he remembered all of the fights he had been in so far. The clear difference between Michael and himself was most definitely skill. When Michael went up against the wraiths back in Colorado, he was able to match their strength blow for blow. Will wished he could forget exactly how pathetic he was when he attempted the same thing when he was traveling with Maya. Throwing the dagger at a tree, Will waited for Michael to say something else.


    Instead of words, Michael drew another wooden sword from his cloak and lunged for Will. ¡°The next lesson is in form!¡± He shouted as their training swords connected. Will could feel the shock of the collision as his hands became numb from blocking. The moment the two practice swords connected, Will knew that even though they were sticks, Michael would have no problem killing him with just a blow.


    Trying to keep up with his uncle''s movements, Will parried most of his advancements. Within no time, the two of them started a dance of swordplay. Michael''s grace against Will''s and in this dance, both knew who was superior. Within a moment of predictable movements, Michael switched the sword behind his back to the other hand while ducking from a swing. ¡°You have to be ready for anything!¡± He said as he attacked with the other hand. Michael''s movements completely changed, instead of predictable swings, his arm was practically a blur of barrages which hit their mark each time.


    In an instant, Will found himself back on the ground, his hair matted with sweat and dirt, his white T-shirt completely drenched with sweat, and his cross pendant was burning his skin from the heat. He could feel welts on his skin from each hit his uncle laid on him.


    ¡°You have absolutely no form, William,¡± Michael said as he stared down at his student. He couldn''t help but chuckle a little when he saw the minor hurt in his nephew''s eyes.


    ¡°You''re burning up, William, take off your jacket and we will continue,¡± Michael said while patiently standing and staring down at his student.


    Will was about to shrug off the jacket when he realized that if he did, it was literally the first time he had since he got to the new world. Will hesitated a moment while looking up at Michael. ¡°I haven''t taken this thing off once since I''ve been here, not even in the desert.¡±


    ¡°A piece of home that you won''t part with, right?¡± Will nodded at his uncle. ¡°Haven''t you wondered why not? Surely you don''t believe that to be a normal jacket,¡± he said, and he put a hand out for Will to grab. Upon giving up his hand, Michael instead took the sleeve of the jacket and pulled it off.


    The moment the jacket left his body, Will felt light! Incredibly light, almost as if the jacket had been weighing him down. Will got up instantly, his body no longer felt the pain of the welts, and he felt ready for another session, he didn''t even feel tired.


    ¡°How could a jacket make this much of a difference?¡± He asked as he stretched his newly rejuvenated body. ¡°I''ve worn that jacket for so many years. It was a gift from my mother.¡±


    Michael turned the jacket inside out and looked at the inside pocket. Turning the pocket inside out, he showed Will what looked like a brown parchment with writing on it. ¡°This is an inscription to hide you and your power, it''s the reason the wraiths couldn''t locate you when we first met,¡± he said as he threw the jacket back to his nephew. ¡°There''s a coat rack in the cottage, go bring it in there.¡± Michael said while he got up and started walking behind the cottage. ¡°When you''re done, meet me out back and don''t worry,¡± Michael said with a hint of a smile. ¡°The wraiths won''t find you here.¡±


    Will went inside and put his jacket on a hook of the coat rack. He now knew there was much more to be done before he could defend himself let alone attack.


    Looking at the pictures on the wall, Will''s eyes rested on the one of his mother holding him with his uncle off to the side. Taking a long look, Will steeped himself for what was yet to come. The training would be intense, yet if he could get stronger, he would be able to protect himself and those he cares about. He would finally be able to avenge Maya by killing the wraiths; if nothing else he could go back and see Bianca for the first time in five months. Just hold on for little longer, guys, I''ll be there soon, he thought as he left the cottage. Cutting himself off from all other distractions, Will sighed. ¡°In the words of a wise man, nothing is ever easy,¡± he muttered to himself as he went to the backyard. The sun rising behind him, Michael waited patiently, holding two practice swords in hand.


    ¡°Today marks the first day of your training under me,¡± Michael said as he threw Will a sword. As he caught it, his uncle walked toward his student. ¡°During this training, you will not wear that jacket and instead use a pair of simple clothes I set out for you each day, is that understood?¡±


    Will took a minute, enjoying his last feeling of freedom. Sighing ever so slightly, he nodded to his uncle, a look of determination set in his eyes.


    ¡°Good,¡± Michael said with a smile, ¡°then let''s begin.¡±

 Chapter 18: Set in the Routine

    The next month worked like clockwork for Will. He woke up to a bucket of water while the stars were out. Since he slept outside under a tree, Michael was able to call it his ¡®daily bath¡¯ before training. After waking up, he would change into a plain white tunic and pants, closely resembling what Maya wore on her travels with him.


    After changing, he and Michael sparred using the sparring swords Michael provided. After two hours, breakfast was served, but there was a catch. The breakfasts Michael made could only be considered hearty¡ªeggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, sausage, pancakes, fruits, and orange juice. The catch was Will could only join the table if he scored a point against Michael during sparring. In the past month, Will had been sitting on the floor at Michael''s feet, only given a few biscuits and water to wash it down with. He could not get up from his spot on the floor until Michael ate both his and his nephew''s portion of the food.


    Within a week, Will had earned many welts from his uncle''s weapon, yet his entire opponent got was extra breakfast. Though it seemed cruel, the punishment motivated Will to put everything in his attacks, fighting for the right to sit at the table with Michael. He had spent any extra time he could get working on his sword form, and doing the exercises Jonathan had him do before he made it to Crystallia.


    Will spent most of the time analyzing his uncle''s fighting style, learning a form from his opponent in order to find any weaknesses within his uncle''s defenses. Each day, Will sparred with him, he inched forward at least a step. Having only lasted less than a minute versus Michael the first day, he was able to continuously attack for a six-minute period now. Of course the end result always left Will on his backside.


    Will''s defenses grew every day as well as his aura. Now when Michael attacked, Will''s aura would detect it, and he was able to deflect the advances. The time period of the assault was not for a lack of trying. Will''s aura was only able to detect the attacks for that period of time. If he tried any longer, he would no longer be able to use his flames on the assault. He had to conserve what he had until he felt the time was right to use it.


    Michael was able to use his barrage of strikes on Will for a period of six minutes before exhausting his opponent though each time Will exhausted his aura, he was in turn exercising both his physical muscles and his aura at the same time. He could feel it come back even stronger each time his aura was restored.


    After breakfast, Will would go out to the tree and meditate for one hour to review what he learned through his sparring as well as allow his aura to recover. Every time he recovered, his strength always went up a not so noticeable amount for one day though over time it added up considering he was able to fend off his uncle for as long as he could.


    After meditation, Michael attached weights to Will''s feet and had him do laps around the cottage for a two-hour period. At first, Will was only able to do two laps due to the extra weight, more time than not, he needed motivation from his uncle. Within the month, Will was not able to make it past the two laps for some reason though his speed was almost a match for Michael''s during his sparring matches. He had no doubt that his uncle had been switching weights on him after each day, so he wouldn''t notice the change. It was the only explanation Will could think of, he was an ex-quarterback, he shouldn''t be having as much trouble as he was.


    After the laps around the cottage, Will took his place by his uncle''s feet for his lunch biscuits while his uncle had roast chicken or beef. After the measly lunch, Will went to the tree for yet another hour of meditating. At first, Will had thought the meditating was a waste of time, but the more he did it, the more strength he had for the next fight against Michael.


    In the evening, Will spent two hours balancing on a huge thin rock in the middle of the field. The first day, he thought, This should be easy right? He had no idea how wrong he was. There was only enough room on the stone for one foot. If he slipped and fell, it was a good seven foot drop, and his uncle was at the bottom to ¡®motivate¡¯ him to get back up the rock. It took many motivations for him to trust his aura and balances to keep him in the rock the whole two hours.


    After his balance training, Will found himself sparring yet another one hour with Michael before dinner, one more chance to earn a real meal. If he couldn''t score a point, not only did he have to sit at his uncle¡¯s feet for his biscuits but he had to take two buckets full of rocks to a lake two miles away, put the rocks in a well-taught pile formation before filling the barrels of water, and walking back. It was two buckets of water for a reason; the first one was for his morning ¡®bath,¡¯ and the second was for his drinking water for the next day.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Will''s training always ended the moment the last rays of light left the sky. For twenty days, it was wash, rinse, and repeat. In its repetitive nature, Will was always motivated to improve, so he no longer earned a spot at his uncle''s feet. He had to improve enough to take Michael on if he ever wanted a chance against the wraiths.


    Will sensed it coming within three seconds before it happened. Rolling out of the way just in time, he felt the impact on the ground where just seconds ago he was located. The water only seemed to have fed the grass this time. Still not fully awake, Will sat up from the grass and opened his eyes. He stared at Michael for a second, trying to figure out what had happened. He looked at the bucket in his uncle''s hand, Will''s eyes went wide.


    Jumping to his feet, Will looked at the spot in which he had just been lying seconds before; a look of startled relief flooded his features. It had been the first time he was able to dodge the water in his sleep. His aura had become a reflex even while his guard was down. Now no one will ever be able to sneak up on me while I sleep, he thought bitterly as he remembered the last time he was caught sleeping, Maya was the one to pay for it.


    Will was so tired of being woken up the same way, he could swear his uncle had a refrigerator hiding somewhere in that cottage, it felt much colder than should be possible in the warm forest climate they were in.


    ¡°Good job in dodging that water, it seems as though you are starting to instinctively sense things even in your sleep,¡± Michael said while clapping his hands.


    Without giving Will time to wake up, he threw a practice sword at him. Without thinking, the shirtless Will caught the sword without looking; instead he sensed it with his aura. It felt as if he had a three hundred and sixty degree sense when it came to his new power.


    As soon as the sword touched Will''s hand, he was instantly alert to his uncle charging for him. Within a second, Michael''s first attack was parried by his nephew''s blade without even making eye contact. Will turned to meet his uncle''s eyes as their blades connected.


    Michael wasted no time in unleashing his frenzied barrage of blows, each one only meeting his opponent¡¯s blade as his aura took over his defenses. Each frenzied blow took a fraction of a second to deliver though to Will it all seemed in slow motion. Through his weight training and balance, Will was able to move as fluid as the water he collected at the lake.


    Going back and forth, Will allowed none of the advances to meet their mark. While parrying the blows, Will searched for a sign of an opening. Every few seconds his uncle switched hands, trying to throw Will off guard.


    Will had to watch everything around him, not only with his eyes but his aura as well. As long as the barrier held, his aura would help him parry each hit. But he wasn''t looking for just defense today; Will was looking to finally land a blow.


    If Will lost any ground during the dance of blades, he would end up backed against the tree which would limit his movements. The only option he had was to push forward. He kept a clear head, analyzing his opponent¡¯s movements. Within the month that he had sparred with his uncle, he noticed that he had a predictable move trying to push forward. He played this to his advantage.


    If Will was going to succeed in his plan, he could not be predictable. Sacrificing himself for a few blows, he advanced forward. Taking a strike to his sword arm and his chest, Will could only feel just a little of the impact. He used his aura to dull the pain without losing stride. With no time to spare, he transferred a little of his aura to his feet making two compressed balls of flames underneath each one. When they exploded, he was launched up, back flipped to the tree, and launched himself off, landing behind his master and tapping him on the neck.


    Drenched in sweat, the two of them stood there, Will''s sword on Michael''s neck. ¡°One,¡± he said to his superior with no humor in his voice.


    With a smile on his face, Michael dropped his blade. He knew when to accept defeat. ¡°Good job, William, that''s how to apply your flame in true combat,¡± he said as he turned to meet Will''s smile. ¡°Your flame is not an outside force. You should find ways to apply it to your combat style.¡±


    Nodding to his uncle, Will dropped his blade. ¡°Time to eat?¡± He said in a giddy voice, finally he was able to sit with his uncle for a meal, he could already taste the bacon! It had taken so long for him to finally take a seat at the table; he started dreaming of the meals.


    ¡°Almost, but first I wish to show you something,¡± Michael said, understanding his nephew''s haste.


    Michael put his hand in his pocket and withdrew something. In his open palm, there was a cross pendant in his hand. ¡°Do you recognize this?¡± he asked with a hopeful expression.


    Looking at the pendant, Will went inside the cottage for a moment, coming back out with his own pendant on its chain. ¡°Jonathan gave me this before I left. It''s just a symbol of luck, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°No, William, that is your birth right,¡± he said as he looked at the pendant. ¡°That is the Ragnos lineage blade.¡±


    Will had to laugh at the statement. ¡°This?¡± he said as he tried to breathe. ¡°Am I supposed to stab someone with the long pointy end and hope for the best?¡± Michael smirked at his nephew only for a moment before looking at his own pendant.


    As Will''s laughter died down, he was wondering if he insulted his uncle seeing as he went dead silent. While watching him, he saw Michael shut his hand around his own pendant, orange flame protruding from it. Within seconds, the orange flame grew in size until he was holding a full-size sword. The same sword Will saw Michael hold his own using against the wraiths. Looking at the pommel, there was a large orange jewel at the end of it. ¡°This is a lineage blade,¡± he said with a chuckle at his nephew''s slack jawed expression. ¡°Though it''s nothing compared to the one in your hand.¡±

 Chapter 19: Homecoming Surprise

    Will took a minute to process the transformation that took place in front of him. Of course it made a little sense, he did see Michael take a fully grown sword out of his pocket before, having this demonstration explained what he thought was impossible. Though if he hadn''t spent as much time in Crystallia, he still would have thought it would be impossible.


    ¡°Your blade is the next step in your training,¡± Michael said as he held his own sword, giving Will a smile. ¡°I want you to try to summon your own sword within the next week. All other exercises besides agility will be postponed.¡±


    Will groaned when he heard he still had to make his laps, it was the only thing he hadn''t mastered since he started his training. Though he couldn''t shake the feeling of excitement as he clutched his pendant. He couldn''t forget the flaming sword Michael used in Colorado. He had been able to completely fend off all five wraiths as if they were equals.


    Taking his pendant from his neck, Will summoned his aura to his clenched hand though nothing happened. Giving a confused look, he tried again, and once more nothing happened. Will looked at his uncle expectantly.


    ¡°This is your training, William, you will get no help from me,¡± he said as he drenched the sword in flames, returning it to his normal sized pendant and pocketed it.


    Walking back to the cottage, Michael looked back at his nephew. ¡°Take the rest of the two hours before breakfast to train, don''t worry, you will have full portions from here on,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°You''re going to need them,¡± he said before shutting the door behind him.


    Will looked from the door back to his pendant. There''s a reason he chose now to show me the blade, he thought as he looked at the small cross. He couldn''t shake the feeling he already knew what to do.


    When he saw Michael activated his blade, his face was completely calm as the flames spread from his hand extending into the sword. Will tested the same act multiple times; trying to feed his flames into the blade, each time was a failure.


    Getting irritated, Will couldn''t stop. He had to master this weapon; it was the only thing he had seen that could hold off the wraiths. How am I supposed to save anyone if I can''t even use the sword? he thought as his flames continuously went out on the blade.


    Two hours went by fast with no pause in Will''s training. He had made no progress on the blade by the time Michael opened the cottage door. Seeing his nephew train so hard made him smile. ¡°William, it''s breakfast time, come in and tell me what you''ve learned of the blade,¡± he said as he walked back to the table.


    Will only objected a little bit, he wanted to figure out his blade as soon as possible though his stomach had other plans for him. Walking into the cottage, Will sat himself at the table and picked up a fork.


    ¡°Have you made any progress on the blade?¡± Michael asked as he took his own seat. His nephew looked up at him and shook his head, his mouth too full of eggs to say anything.


    ¡°I see,¡± Michael said with a shrug. ¡°What exactly do you think a lineage blade is?¡±


    ¡°I think it''s a weapon I can use to protect myself against the wraiths,¡± Will said with a slight hesitation. ¡°What else could it be? I''ve seen you use it twice now, and you''re still alive.¡± Michael scoffed at his nephew''s ridiculous response.


    Michael shook his head, clearly not happy with the answer. ¡°Finish your food. We are going to take a little trip.¡± Clearly happy to go anywhere other than the training field, Will nodded and began shoveling food in his mouth as fast as he could.


    After breakfast, Will met Michael outside of the cottage. He was allowed to wear his normal clothes which made him curious as to where Michael was taking him.


    Back in his blue jeans, white shirt, and leather jacket, Will felt more like himself than he had in a week. His cross and dog tags took their usual spot around his neck.


    Michael was sporting his usual business suit and overcoat. Calling Will over to him, he extended his hand. ¡°We are just going to make a quick supply run.¡±


    Taking Will by the arm, they plunged themselves into darkness, the same sensation Will was just starting to get used to.


    When the light came back, they stepped through a gate into a house Will was all too familiar with. His eyes opened in surprise as he found himself in his old home in Minnesota.


    ¡°Why would you bring me here?¡± He asked his uncle, but he was no longer next to him. Michael had disappeared within the instant they stepped through the gate. Why doesn''t this guy ever give me a warning before he disappears? Will thought as he rolled his eyes. The least he can do is put a little bell around his neck. He had to chuckle at the image his mind came up with.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The house was abandoned still, no retail sign or any proof anyone had been living there since he left. Will took out his phone and charger, testing whether the outlets were working.


    The moment the power went on, his phone started going off the walls with messages. Some of them were from Leo, but most from Bianca.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Why don''t you ever turn on your phone?¡± ¡°Are you alive?¡± The more Will scrolled through the phone, the more he got worried. It had been a while since he last checked in with the both of them.


    Instead of making a call on the phone, he summoned his flame. Tapping his phone with it, the reflection turned to Bianca. She was yet again in her room wearing her usual pink tank top and jeans. Even though it was a little creepy that he could see her no matter where she was, he still liked this way of contacting her better than her phone though he''d never tell her that to her face.


    ¡°Don''t say anything, Bianca,¡± he said into the phone. The moment he said it, her head came up in surprise. ¡°Come next door and don''t forget a jacket,¡± he said as he allowed the flame to dissipate. He knew he only had a few moments before she was there. He took the opportunity to check if his service was still up. Of course his location settings were on, Will bet Leo already knew he was back.


    Within a minute, there was a hesitant knock at the door. As Will opened it, a hand came out of nowhere. His aura alerted him, but he allowed the slap to connect to his face. Will rubbed the hand print that must have been on his face. He looked at her for a moment, glad she had listened and grabbed a jacket on her way out; the snow was coming down pretty good.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Bianca screamed in the doorway. ¡°We have been so worried about you, did you even care?¡± Will had seen this coming every time he thought of her. He just allowed her to take her frustration out on him. Seeing tears in her eyes, all he could do was hold her close.


    Looking up at her recently missing boyfriend, her eyes grew large. ¡°Will, what happened to you? You''ve changed.¡± Not knowing what she meant, Will took his phone from the charger and turned it to camera, he put it on mirror and looked at himself.


    It was true, his hair was a mess covering his eyes, but even then, his face looked leaner as well. He looked almost like a better version of himself since he left. He didn''t really feel different though, all of the challenges that he had faced so far probably shaped how he looked. He had suffered a lot, but he had also grown stronger because of it.


    ¡°You have anything to eat? I''m starving,¡± Will said with a sheepish look. He hadn''t been able to really enjoy his food as much as he should have since he was in a hurry to get out of that damned cottage.


    ¡°I haven''t seen or heard from you in six months, and the first thing you ask is about the food?¡± She asked incredulously. Will shrugged at the question. ¡°Well at least you haven''t changed much on the inside,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°My mom isn''t home right now, so you can come over for a little while and tell me what''s been going on with you,¡± Bianca said as she went back outside.


    Will made sure to grab his phone and charger before heading out into the cold January air. Luckily, they were only going down the street one house over.


    Stopping in front of the house, Will took in the familiar view. It seemed so nostalgic; he had lived next to that particular house for most of his life. He remembered all the times his parents dropped him off, so they could have some time alone. All the times she had played with her dollhouse when she was younger to experimenting with new clothes when they got older. Will had some fond memories with just him and Bianca. It was the best thing about having the one person he cared about living next door.


    Walking into the house, he saw that nothing had truly changed. There was still a shoe rack by the door. Walking into the house, he saw the familiar coat rack that had been behind a recliner since he was small. Will followed his memories up to Bianca''s room. The door was shut so he decided to wait for permission to enter; it was a long standing rule since Will had always walked in at the wrong time. More often than not, he would have a hand print on the side of his face that put the most recent one to shame.


    Will knocked on the door as he would usually do when he came over. Over all the times that he had visited her, the least he could do then was to knock. ¡°Come in,¡± Bianca called out. Will opened the door to see her in her usual pink tank and jeans sitting on her bed with a few sandwiches next to her.


    Sitting next to her, Will thanked Bianca for the meal while she could only look at him. It was true he had changed a little. From all the training he did when he was in the desert to the training with Maya and the most recent training from his uncle. Will got chills just thinking about it. But he couldn''t have changed all that much, he still wore the same clothes as he did the last time he saw her, and he still wore the same jacket.


    As Bianca stared at him, he noticed there were tears in her eyes. He instantly put down his meal and put his hand on her leg. ¡°Hey, I''m okay,¡± he said in a soothing voice, ¡°I''m here now. You can stop worrying.¡± He gave her a smile as she thought of what to say.


    ¡°You were completely out of touch for six months, Will,¡± she said as she found her voice. She became a little nervous after she calmed down a little. ¡°Hey, I was wondering,¡± she began; her face had taken a slight pinkish color. ¡°Did I hear you call me a month ago and then today without using a phone or anything?¡± She asked.


    Will had to keep himself from laughing at her face. She must have felt as if she was going crazy. Who exactly hears voices? In her defense, Will did remember talking to himself in the desert. ¡°Yeah, you did,¡± Will tried to find the right words to tell her that she wasn''t going crazy. ¡°I want to tell you everything, but now isn''t the time.¡± Taking a deep breath, Will prepared himself for the unavoidable outburst.


    ¡°Alright, as long as I wasn''t going crazy,¡± she said as if nothing unnatural had been said. ¡°Besides, now Leo owes me a hundred bucks.¡± Bianca giggled as she put her jacket back on.


    ¡°Going somewhere?¡± Will raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I figured you would want to go to the field, after all it''s been a while.¡± Bianca winked at him as she left the room.

 Chapter 20: Reason to Fight

    The field behind Will''s house had always been used as a hang out place for Will and Bianca. He had always felt more relaxed there. At the far corner of it, there was a playground. The swings were Bianca''s favorite place. The group, including Leo, would always hang out at Java Joint though the park was Will''s and Bianca''s alone. He remembered all the times they had spent on the swing set under the stars. They would both unwind and tell each other what their day had been like. The field would always have a special place in Will''s heart.


    Cutting across the neighbor¡¯s yard, they made their way into the field. Bianca wouldn''t allow Will even a small gap between them. She believed that if she let go of him, he would just disappear again. She was not about to let even the slightest possibility of that to happen. As long as he was alive, she would never let him out of her sight again.


    ¡°Where did you go, Will?¡± she asked as soon as they entered the field, her head down as if admiring the freshly laid snow. It was a nice night for January weather though Bianca couldn''t help but shiver in her winter coat. ¡°Me and Lee thought you were abducted or something, we were really worried.¡± They both must have sent him texts a thousand times a piece and still never gave up hope of finding him. Will let out a sigh, to explain what he had been doing without sounding like a lunatic might be a bit of an issue.


    ¡°You two weren''t far from the truth,¡± he said, putting his arm around Bianca to keep her warm. ¡°I was brought somewhere I doubt anyone here has ever been.¡± At that point, Will was skeptical of telling her everything. He was afraid if he said it all aloud, even he would question his sanity. Bianca just gave him a look; she wouldn''t let him off the hook even if he tried to avoid the question.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a name then,¡± she said as she raised an eyebrow. ¡°What was the name of this place no one has heard of? I''m sure Leo could look it up.¡± Will laughed as her face turned pink. ¡°What''s so funny? If there''s a place on earth and you have identifying features, Leo could pick you out anywhere,¡± she said in a matter-of-fact.


    ¡°If that were true, how did he not find me while I was gone?¡± Will asked as he kicked the back of her shoe.


    ¡°This isn''t a game, Will, we were both worried about you,¡± Bianca said as she punched his shoulder. Will didn''t really notice it all that much. ¡°Now you come back, and you''re dodging all my questions, what am I supposed to think?¡± Bianca put her head down; he could tell there were tears in her eyes. Of course she would be worried. He was alone for several months. He had almost given in when he spent as much time as he did with Maya, he had almost given up hope.


    ¡°My uncle came and got me from Colorado,¡± he started his explanation. ¡°He''s a soldier like Jonathan. For the past six months, I''ve been training in ways that I''ve never tried before,¡± he said as he brushed the tears out of her eyes. ¡°If I could have kept in contact, you know I would have.¡±


    Thinking back on the last six months, the desert which he landed in, the thugs in the woods and saving Maya, training his flame on his own, fighting the wraiths and losing, and finally his training with Michael. Will''s grip on Bianca tightened, sending waves of heat from his aura cascading off of her.


    ¡°How are you this warm? It¡¯s freezing out,¡± she said while loosening his grip on her, yet not letting him go.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all that bad out, maybe twenty degrees?¡± He said while looking up at clouds as it started to part. The snow had stopped, and Will almost had a clear view of the stars. The best thing about this field was the view of the stars, he used to climb up on the football post they had in the corner of the field just to see the city lights and look up.


    ¡°It feels at least twenty below out here,¡± she said as her body started shivering uncontrollably.


    Something was wrong; Will didn''t feel the same coldness that Bianca did. The only time he had ever felt that cold was when he was around the wraiths that were alert to his presence.


    Looking around the field, Will instantly became alert. ¡°Bianca, I want you to run from here as fast as you can. It¡¯s no longer safe to talk. I''ll come find you later,¡± he said as he let go of her, his aura emanating dangerously around him. His power only activated at the sign of danger, and it was on overdrive at the time.


    Bianca looked at her boyfriend; his eyes held a look of danger, and she swore she saw sheen of red covering his body. Instead of arguing, she took a few strides backward away from him.


    Will faced away from his girlfriend, his eyes focused on the darkness, finding a shape of black within. The wraith drew its sword from its scabbard, the steel shining off of a street light. Will had no choice, for Bianca''s sake, he had to try.


    The closer the wraith got, the colder it got. Will''s aura would protect him for a time, but he was worried about the shivering Bianca behind him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Thoughts of the last time he faced one of these creatures flashed in Will''s mind, what he had lost. Maya¡¯s haunting screams followed the wraith with every step. With each step, his aura dissipated slightly. Will finally felt the chill of death settle on him again.


    Starting to shiver slightly, the wraith was already upon him, sword raised and ready to strike. Will was stuck in the trauma of the last time, he wasn''t even aware of the presence of his opponent.


    Everything was going black, the sound blocked out by Maya''s screams. Why should he try? Why should he go against the inevitable when he already knew the outcome?


    Just give up. Surrender. Defeat is inevitable, a voice was calling out to him, soothing him to accept what was to come.


    ¡°WILL!¡± a voice called out. He knew this voice. He couldn''t remember where from, all he knew was to give in. He was upset that someone would try to disturb his peace.


    ¡°Will, get out of the way! He''s going to kill you!¡± So much concern was in her voice. Will was touched that someone would think so much of him. Only two women in his life ever sounded like that, love radiating from every word. Suddenly, he recognized the voice, it was Bianca!


    Flashes overcame the darkness. Flashes of spending time with her. Climbing the new library roof and eating McDonald''s, movies, trips to the field, her smile at school.


    Everything came back in an instant and deep within, a voice called out to him.


    PROTECT HER!


    Suddenly, his bonds were broken, and his aura spilled out. His cross burning his chest, begging to be held. Will was of a mind to allow his pendant to indulge in its needs.


    Taking the cross from his neck, it was instantly engulfed in flame. Out within his hand, he held a gold and orange flame, the size of a sword. His hopes, desperation, and desires poured into the flame. Protect her was all that was in his head. Anything else was second. Within seconds, he was holding a silver blade of the purist quality, the hilt was silver with gold wiring, and at the pommel, lay a large ruby with gold wiring surrounding it in webs.


    Will used his aura to leap back in front of a baffled Bianca. He didn''t blame her; she was probably thinking exactly what he thought when Michael pulled a sword from his pocket.


    Will smiled at the wraith. Where it took five of them to overpower him last time, there was only one now, and he finally gained the tool he could use against them. The heat to their chill. Even now, he couldn''t feel the icy touch in which their power used to suppress him. He was completely free.


    Taking a quick admiring glance at his new weapon, Will had to admit Michael was right. His uncle¡¯s sword paled in comparison to his. It looked regal, and the power coming from it was incredible.


    The wraith charged for the newly empowered Will. Its deathly iron sword was its in hand ready to take the final swing to kill the one of whom it was sent after. Will easily parried the blow, and sidestepping his opponent, he sent his own blow to the wraith¡¯s side. An unearthly howl came from the monster as it took a few steps back. Will could tell it was no longer so sure of itself.


    Will faced the monster, both of them were walking in a giant circle seeing if the other one would give an opening. Will had all the patience he needed; he made sure his defenses were up for the inevitability of the wraiths next assault. With the new power Will had attained, he felt his aura drastically increase in time, for what was six minutes of defensive was now far beyond.


    The wraith was tired of waiting for an opening, instead it did something Will had half expected it to. The moment the wraith was close enough to Bianca, it tried to grab her. The moment the hand went for her, Will''s sword came in for a clean cut. ¡°None of you will ever lay a hand on her!¡± He shouted as he felt his anger rising. The wraith clutched its stub of an arm; an inhuman wail yet again came from its mouth. Will grabbed the now severed hand and threw it at the wraith.


    ¡°Whoever you work for, I have a message for them,¡± Will said with a calm demeanor. ¡°Tell them I am getting much stronger as you can clearly see, and when I''m at my best, don''t worry about chasing me down. They won''t have to send you anymore.¡± A look of contempt crept into his face. ¡°I''ll come directly to them, and pay them back for Maya.¡± Will took a final swing at the wraith, only this time he didn''t want it to connect. A golden aura was released from the blade, one Will had never seen before. The wraith screamed in agony as it came in contact with it. Within moments, the wraith had disappeared, limb and all.


    With the wraith out of the way, Will grabbed Bianca up into his arms and circulated his aura to his feet. In seconds, they were up in the air, no longer within range of the danger below.


    Bianca had no idea what was going on, or how anything she had witnessed was even possible. The one thing she did know was her life was just saved by Will. She looked below her to see the city lights as if they were stars.


    ¡°I''m in this now, Will,¡± she said with a serious face as they landed between a few houses, blocks over from the field.


    Will set her on the ground, a look of displeasure in his eyes. ¡°You can''t be a part of it, Bianca, these people are out to kill me, and they''ll do anything and hurt anyone to do it.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly why,¡± Michael said as he appeared from behind a house, ¡°you need to protect them.¡± Walking closer to Will, he saw the regal looking blade in his hand. ¡°I see you found what you need to protect,¡± he lifted an eyebrow. ¡°I told you mine can''t even hold a candle to your blade.¡± Will nodded, he had seen the difference in the way he fought compared to his uncle¡¯s. ¡°How did you get rid of it?¡± Michael asked curiosity evident in his voice.


    ¡°I cut one of its arms off and threw it at him,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°I think I finally found a way to defeat them.¡± Will thought back to the golden light that was released from the blade. Whatever it was, it completely vaporized the wraith. Before he would say anything to Michael, he would have to see whether it was something he could control on his own, or if he needed guidance to use it. Whatever it was, he no longer felt vulnerable to the wraiths. Soon, they would pay for what they did to Maya.

 Chapter 21: Devereux Manor

    ¡°Regardless of if she comes with us or not, we need to leave now, William.¡± Michael walked toward the road. ¡°She would be a lot safer with us now that the wraiths know she is important to you.¡± He raised an eyebrow to his nephew. ¡°You know I have never been able to land a blow on any of them, good job,¡± he said with a smirk


    Will accepted his uncle¡¯s praise as if he had won the Olympic, but thinking back on what happened to Maya, Will knew his uncle was right. If he were to just leave Bianca behind, the other wraiths would track her down. She had been seen, the only safe place was by Will''s side. He couldn''t think of an argument to present to keep her in her own life. Will sighed and turned to Bianca.


    Will attached the sword back to the chain it belonged, within moments, it shrunk back to the size of a pendant though now he saw a ruby at the top and gold wiring netting down the cross. I''ll have to ask Michael about that later, he thought as he put the pendant back around his neck.


    ¡°Where we are going is really cramped, so don''t worry about packing,¡± he said with a little humor to lift the mood.


    ¡°Oh no, William, that cottage was only your training spot. We can''t bring a lady there,¡± Michael said with a chuckle. ¡°Our next destination is New York City. I have a sizable estate there.¡±


    Will stared at his uncle with his mouth agape. ¡°You mean to tell me we''ve been in a raggedy old shack not because you lived there but because of me?¡± Will couldn''t believe his ears. He could have thought of a thousand different ways Michael could have introduced himself. Maybe over a movie or a game of pool? Maybe he could have gone out for a drink. But instead, he brought him to a worn down old shack, beat the crap out of him, and made him say uncle. Will rolled his eyes. At least I don''t have to eat biscuits anymore, he thought to himself, suddenly happy that Bianca was around now.


    ¡°Of course, William, would someone this nicely dressed really live in that worn down hut?¡± Michael said as he made a point of posing in his suit with a huge grin. Will insanely hated his uncle at this point, all he wanted to do was take his oversized silver sword and ram it somewhere the sun wouldn''t shine.


    Will rolled his eyes at his uncle, making Bianca laugh. ¡°At least you can get him to show emotion,¡± she said to Michael with a giggle.


    With a shrug, Will slapped Michael''s shoulder. ¡°We really should get going.¡±


    With a nod, Michael brought his coat above both of the youths, making the three of them disappear. Yet again Will was launched into the darkness, only this time he felt a fragile hand in his own. As they went through the lightless void, he gave Bianca''s hand a reassuring squeeze.


    Almost as soon as everything went dark, they were brought back into the night near a large estate gate. At the top of the gate was an iron sign with the name DEVEREUX MANOR raised out of it.


    Michael went to the gate buzzer while Will checked on Bianca. It was her first transport, and he still remembered his. ¡°Feel beamed up there yet, Scotty?¡± He said with a wink. Bianca rolled her eyes.


    ¡°So where''s the actual house?¡± Will asked as he looked around the grounds inside the gate. The land was huge, considering even though they were right outside the gate; the only thing they saw was a snowy ground and a paved road entering the grounds.


    ¡°It''s about five miles up the road from here,¡± Michael said as Will whistled inwardly. ¡°My driver will be here within a few minutes, so just be patient.¡±


    Will couldn''t believe that Michael had this kind of money though he didn''t really know his uncle. He could have multiple estates around the world just like this one just in case of emergency. He had to wonder how much influence Crystallia really had on the world in which he was raised in.


    While waiting for the car to arrive, Will decided to check in with Bianca. It couldn''t be too easy to accept magic as part of reality within just an hour of knowing. She had seen him use his gift as well as being teleported to New York from Minnesota in a matter of moments. It had taken Will, actually experiencing magic, for months to truly accept what was real and what was in his head. So many instances in which he had to question his sanity. In a world of technology and the belief in normalcy, it was hard to accept that something out of the norm existed. It could be that people truly believed what they are mentally capable of handling, shutting out all other possibilities.


    ¡°How are you doing, Bee?¡± Will said while softly bumping into her. ¡°You''ve seen multiple things today that anyone else would be questioning, and you''ve been really quiet. Are you going to be all right?¡± He asked with a bit of concern in his voice.


    Bianca sighed. ¡°There had to be some sort of explanation for you disappearing,¡± she started. ¡°I couldn''t accept that you just forgot about us, in some strange way, this makes more sense,¡± she said with a half smile.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Will could only stare at her. How could any of this truly make more sense to her than him forgetting about them? She was willing to accept magic in the world before she would ever accept him leaving her. Will had a newfound respect and admiration for his girlfriend. She wouldn''t believe he''d ever leave her without a reason. That loyalty was more than he could ever find in a lifetime.


    While Will and Bianca talked, Michael stayed off to the side, allowing his nephew as much privacy as he could. Though looking at those two, he couldn''t help but think of his sister. She had always supported Will''s father, backing him on any plan he had. She was his foundation of trust just as much as Bianca was to Will. So history repeats itself once more, he thought with an inner sigh.


    Will looked down the road through the gate and saw a limo driving down the road to the gate. As it parked near the entrance, the gate automatically opened. ¡°I do appreciate your patience,¡± Michael said with a smile. ¡°As you are probably aware, I usually don''t need a car,¡± he said with a wink.


    As the three climbed in the limo, the gate shut and the driver took off to the mansion. ¡°Would either of you like refreshments?¡± Michael asked as he opened the mini fridge next to his seat. Will picked out a mountain dew while Bianca only took water. She could think what he wanted, but he hadn''t had any soft drinks or fatty foods in six months, it was time he indulged himself.


    Driving down the narrow road, Will looked out the window. No matter how hard he stared, he couldn''t see the end of the grounds on either side of the car. How much land could he have? He thought to himself.


    ¡°There''s around sixty accumulative acres on the grounds,¡± Michael said as if reading his nephew¡¯s mind. ¡°Your cardio is going to get interesting from here on out, William,¡± he said with a wink.


    Will groaned inwardly. The cost of upgrading, he thought as he sipped his mountain dew. He could only imagine the weight training that he would have to do while running the border of the five-mile fence line.


    After what seemed like fifteen minutes, the mansion came into view. The closer they got, the wider Will''s eyes became. ¡°Did you get a good deal off of Xavier then?¡± He asked somewhat sarcastically.


    The mansion was a four story castle large enough to fit at least three generations of family within. A nice patch of trees were off to the side of it, and a water fountain surrounded by burning bushes in which had all but lost their leaves in front of the manor. The road looped around the fountain like someone would see at an expensive motel used for balls.


    Taking the loop around the fountain, the driver parked next to the large double door entrance to the mansion. Opening the door, he waved the three out of the vehicle, bowed to Michael, and drove the vehicle back down the road again.


    Looking at the double door entrance, something looked familiar. Will''s eyes widened yet again when it hit him. They were onyx black, the same color as the one in Colorado that he entered Crystallia through!


    ¡°Did you put that door in our house?¡± Will asked Michael.


    ¡°Not just that house but every house you''ve lived in had that gateway,¡± his uncle responded pridefully. ¡°I made sure I put a gateway in every house before you moved in.¡± Will''s jaw dropped.


    ¡°Judging by your expression, I''d have to guess you still haven''t figured out how Jonathan had enough money to move you around,¡± Michael said with a chuckle. ¡°He was using your trust fund setup by myself, the only stipulation was that I put up a gateway in each of the houses, but enough of that, let''s head in,¡± he waved the two of them through the now open doors.


    Now through the entrance, Will noticed two female servants holding the door open. One was old enough to be his mother while the other looked just a few years older than him. Both wearing solid black expensive looking dresses.


    Looking around, Will saw there was a double staircase leading up each floor, a chandelier in the middle. The carpet was a solid orange with gold lining at the edges. There were two hallways leading on either side of each set of stairs.


    ¡°Helga, would you be so kind as to show Ms. Jean around?¡± Michael asked the elder of the two servants. ¡°And after that, call a car to bring her shopping for clothes, she came a little light,¡± Michael said while turning to give Will a little wink. The servant bowed and turned to Bianca, waving her to follow.


    Will watched as Bianca disappeared down one of the hallways. ¡°Not to worry, William, as long as she is here she''ll be treated like the queen she might become one day.¡±


    Will sighed at his uncle''s attempt at humor. ¡°So what are we about to do?¡± He asked skeptically. ¡°I don''t suppose you keep my weights in your pockets.¡±


    ¡°Why, William, I am offended,¡± Michael said sarcastically, his hand going to his heart as he took a step back. ¡°I just want to introduce you to a new friend,¡± he said with an innocent smile.


    Will knew better than to trust the man with a day of relaxation. With a sigh, he followed his uncle down the opposite hall from the one Bianca departed through. No matter what Michael said, Will prepared himself for even more intensive training as they went deeper into the mansion.


    Coming to a stop, Will found himself stopped by yet another black onyx door. Is this my new training room? he thought as Michael went to open the door. Was it a torture room? Maybe a weight room in which he had to master before leaving? Or was there an opponent in the other side of the door?


    Will prepared himself mentally for what he would find. Surely, Michael hadn''t forgotten about his training just because he was home.


    Opening the door, Will held a look of astonishment when he saw what was inside.


    In the room was an exact replica of what his room looked like in Colorado! ¡°I had everything from Jonathan''s shipped over here the moment you left,¡± Michael explained seeing the look on his nephew''s face.


    ¡°We will have a late brunch tomorrow seeing as though it''s five in the morning. It will be self serve so whenever you wake up, make your way to the dining room on the second floor,¡± Michael said as he turned back to the door. ¡°Welcome home, William.¡±

 Chapter 22: William Carter鈥檚 Day Off

    ¡°Knock, knock.¡± Will was woken out of a dreamless sleep to someone at the door. Getting up, he grabbed a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt from his dresser. Grabbing his jacket from his usual place on the back of his chair, he opened the door to see Bianca waiting for him.


    ¡°Morning, bed head,¡± she said as she giggled at his unmade hair. ¡°I thought you would sleep all day, it''s already noon,¡± she said as she winked at him. ¡°Breakfast is waiting upstairs for you.¡± With that, they were off to the dining room.


    Will had no choice but to smile at her. Seeing how much she had just been through, it was hard to believe she could be this energetic. After all she had been through the previous night; he thought she might even be a little bit more guarded. Chuckling to himself, Will followed the girl who seemed to be humming the tune to a song he didn''t recognize.


    Following the hallway back to the staircase, they went up to the second floor. Before they reached a seemingly endless hallway, Will stopped in front of a glass door seeing Michael at a table drinking coffee.


    Will knocked at the door to get his uncle''s attention. With a flip of a finger, Helga opened the door to allow the two youths¡¯ entrance. ¡°You need a raise,¡± Will said before heading inside the room.


    ¡°Morning, you two,¡± Michael said as he set down his cup. ¡°You slept well I hope?¡± A smile playing on his lips.


    Will couldn''t help but return the smile. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard not to have a good night''s sleep when you almost succeeded in modeling my room after the one in Colorado,¡± he chuckled as he went to the counter and picked up his favorite breakfast, scrambled eggs and cheese, bacon and toast with a mountain dew.


    Michael was taken aback. ¡°Almost? I had everything sent from your room to your new one. What could be different?¡±


    Will rolled his eyes, ¡°I do know the difference between a pillow top bed and a temprepedic one,¡± he said as he put his food on the table. Will could tell the difference between the bed he had back at home and the one he had there. True, the pillow top was not as comfortable as the temprepedic, but the familiarity was thrown off by the slight difference. He supposed he shouldn''t have been complaining. Will had gotten so used to sleeping on grass; he didn''t even know a real bed existed anymore.


    ¡°That old bed looked horrible for your back,¡± his uncle said with a look of indignation. ¡°If I kept that one, you would be crawling upstairs instead of walking.¡±


    As Michael chuckled at his joke, Will ate his food. To his surprise, it tasted exactly the way Jonathan would make it. He thought of the old man, and how he must be doing. Will felt like crap for not calling him the moment he could have, but too many things had happened for him to have the time.


    ¡°You are not training today by the way, you can thank your girlfriend for that,¡± his uncle said while watching him eats.


    Will looked at Bianca who was nursing a plate of sunny side up eggs. ¡°I figured we should hit the town, seeing as though it is the Big Apple.¡± She gave him a sheepish look. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since it was just you and me, so your uncle agreed to postpone your training for the day.¡±


    Will looked at Michael completely shocked at what he heard. His training had taken priority above all else since the moment he met him. To give him a break was almost too good to be true.


    ¡°You haven''t been able to spend a single day with your girlfriend in six months, the least I could do is give you a day of uninterrupted time together,¡± Michael said as he brought his now empty coffee cup to the counter. ¡°That being said, I have something for you, William.¡±


    Michael took out his wallet and presented a card to Will. Taking it from his uncle, Will was surprised to see his name on it. ¡°There is more money on that card than you can spend in a lifetime,¡± his uncle said with a wink. ¡°Spend wisely but have fun.¡±


    With that, Will watched his uncle exit the room, leaving him and Bianca alone. Given the opportunity to be alone with his girlfriend, he didn''t know what to do. So many experiences he had been through, so much had happened in the last six months, he just didn''t know where to start.


    ¡°Your uncle seems like a nice person,¡± Bianca said, obviously uncomfortable with the silence and tired of playing with her fork.


    Will snorted, ¡°Yeah, he''s a real saint.¡± The silence suddenly broke with a giggle coming from his girlfriend.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Come on, Will, it couldn''t have been that bad living with Michael,¡± she said looking at Will questioningly. ¡°How could it have been with a person living in this place,¡± she waved her hand around the room.


    ¡°You''ll find out when you see my training schedule later,¡± Will said with an inward groan. ¡°So what do you want to do today?¡± He said, clearly ready for a change of subject.


    ¡°Will, we are in the big city!¡± She exclaimed with big eyes, ¡°What would I not want to do?¡±


    Within a few minutes, the two found themselves outside the manor. The driver from earlier was waiting in a sleek black Mercedes.


    Loading themselves in the back of the car, Will instructed him to show them the sights of the city. As the driver took off, Will looked out the window to see Michael waving them off.


    It took no more than a half hour to meet the bustling traffic of the city. Stores left and right as well as diners. Throughout the day, Bianca stopped the car at various clothing outlets and tried out the most ridiculously expensive clothing. Trusting what his uncle said about the card, there was no limit to the amount Will was prepared to spend on her.


    Hours flew by in what seemed like minutes. Each store they visited, Will ended up carrying a pile of clothing to the car. All of it was stored in the trunk which made Will curious. They must have purchased enough for a truckload.


    On the bright side, Will was able to see Bianca in everything she got. Though he told her she looked good in everything, she loved hearing him say it every time.


    Heading out of another clothing outlet, Will didn''t care to remember the name of, he looked around. Though he had only been gone six months, seeing the big skyscrapers looming overhead still was enough to put him in awe. It was a nice break from deserts or forests.


    While looking around, Will saw someone on the street corner with a can in his hand.


    The boy was no older than Will with a shaggy raven black hair covering his eyes; Will couldn''t see exactly what his expression was but if he had to guess, it would be hopelessness.


    Bianca was next to come out of the outlet, looking at Will, she could tell something was wrong. Following his gaze, she saw the boy on the corner. ¡°This city is full of homeless, Will,¡± she said with a sad look. ¡°We can''t help them all.¡±


    Hearing Bianca say that with such conviction as if there really wasn''t anything he could do made him slightly irritated. ¡°If I didn''t have the luck I''ve had, I''d be in the same situation,¡± he said turning to Bianca. ¡°I can''t help the whole world, but I can''t turn my back from someone in front of me.¡± Will turned back to the boy, walking across the street to see what he could do.


    The boy looked startled as Will made his way toward him; he was sitting down at the corner. Thousands of people walked past him each day, none so much as looking at him. He didn''t blame them. Though this boy had no problem approaching him, he still doubted he would do more than talk.


    Sitting next to the boy, Will could see why he was holding the can. He had a brown T-shirt with holes in it, torn and worn out jeans, and he could swear he saw the boy¡¯s feet through the holes in his shoes.


    ¡°My name is William Ragnos,¡± Will said slightly embarrassed. It was the first time he had actually introduced himself in his given name, it felt alien to him. The boy turned from looking at the street to the boy in the leather jacket. Of course it''s another one just trying to talk, he thought.


    ¡°I''m Jake,¡± the boy said looking wary at Will. ¡°Is there something I can do for you?¡±


    Will could see he wanted to get straight to the point, he couldn''t truly blame him. How many other people sat down where he was sitting just to talk to him? ¡°I was wondering if you would like a job,¡± he said as Jake looked at him with a confused expression.


    ¡°I do a lot of traveling for my training and would like to have you accompany me,¡± Will said with a grin on his face. ¡°Traveling alone is not really beneficial to me. I would have you train as well. We would be sparring partners. If you''ve never held a sword before, don''t worry, you aren''t the only one.¡±


    Jake couldn''t understand what he was saying. Sparring and sword fights? ¡°What''s in it for me?¡± He asked, cautious of anything that might be out of the ordinary by way of work. He had seen too many people taken from the streets never to be seen again.


    ¡°You can pick a room out in my uncle''s mansion for one thing, we can get you new clothes. Those ones look like they were done ten years ago. You won''t have to pay for room and board, and meals are on a scheduled basis,¡± Will thought of everything he believed Michael would be okay with.


    It was way too good to be true for Jake, someone walking up to him completely out of the blue and offering paradise. ¡°I think I''ll pass,¡± he said as he turned back to the street.


    Will remembered something Jonathan said when he first started his training. ¡°Sometimes the best opportunities come disguised as wishful thinking. Even if something seems too good to be true, take a chance and do something you normally wouldn''t.¡±


    Jake thought about it for a minute. It did seem too good to be true, why would a stranger help without wanting anything in return? The world didn''t work that way, he had felt firsthand what the kindness of strangers did to people. Jake winced, ¡°Just go away, there''s nothing you can do for me, and you''re about to get both of us in trouble.¡±


    Will was about to question him when three thugs walked toward them. ¡°Dammit,¡± Jake muttered under his breath, ¡°just get out of here while you have the chance!¡±


    ¡°Hey, kid, is this guy paying, or are we playing?¡± Said a bald man with huge muscles, a black tank top, and a cross tattoo on his bicep.


    ¡°He was just leaving. It was just a misunderstanding, that''s all,¡± Jake said quickly, obviously intimidated by the three.


    ¡°I don''t think so,¡± he said while turning to face Will. ¡°You see, kid, this boy,¡± he gestured to Jake, ¡°owes us a lot of money though he hasn''t been able to make any of it back,¡± he said as he pulled out a knife. ¡°I was just telling my friends over here it''s about time to cut our losses.¡± The man had a horrible gleam in his eyes as he held the knife to Jake. ¡°Hold him down,¡± he said to his friends who immediately lunged toward Jake.


    Will sighed, ¡°So much for my day off.¡±

 Chapter 23: Jake

    Will gauged the situation in front of him. Jake being held down by the two thugs while their leader held the blade. He had three options: talking the men out of the action, paying the money, or defeating him. The three of them were pretty much set into their task, so there wouldn''t be any talking them out of it. If he showed he could pay, they would demand more, or they would hold him for ransom.


    Will sighed. Third option it is, he thought as he finally gave into the situation. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± He asked as he scratched his head. ¡°Is my friend there really worth your dignity?¡±


    The three men stared at him. They were much larger than him, they had a knife to his friend, and he was still calm. ¡°Kid, I don''t think you understand the situation you''re in,¡± the bald thug with the knife said with a smile, ¡°do you really want to be responsible for this kid¡¯s death?¡± Pointing the knife to Jake''s throat, a bead of blood forming under the tip of the blade.


    ¡°You see, sir, I just claimed responsibility for my friend there,¡± he pointed to Jake. ¡°If anything happens to him, it would be like me going against my word,¡± he said with an innocent smile. ¡°So would you kindly let him go?¡±


    The bald man stared at Will for a time. This kid either has a death wish, or he really doesn''t know what''s going on, he thought to himself. Suddenly, he started laughing, he had seen a lot of stupid people in the city, but this one took the cake. ¡°Sure, kid, prove your word and give us all the money you have!¡± he said between breaths as he laughed at Will.


    Will only smiled at the man. Of course he wouldn''t be taking him seriously, Will was just a kid. Anyone else in the city would probably just turn their heads from Jake, and wait until later to see his face on the news as a result of a brutal murder. Will hated the ones who would turn their heads more than the ones who would actually do the deed. In a city like New York, there were millions of opportunities to stop a situation like the one he was dealing with. Will knew how dangerous these people were to the inhabitants of the city, if left alone, they would just return to what they were doing when he left. Jake was infinite money token, if he wasn''t saved from this situation, he would no doubt be put back into it again within minutes after he paid.


    ¡°I know how that turns out,¡± Will said with a smile. ¡°The only way for you three to let go of my friend,¡± suddenly his smile vanished and a murderous glare replaced in his features, ¡°is if you are incapable of holding him anymore.¡± Suddenly, the nice cool day turned to a blazing heat as Will unleashed his aura. He allowed his disdain for the three men to show in his disproving glare. If he didn''t hold back only a little, the man and his friends would undoubtedly be dead within moments.


    The three thugs had enough at that point. A kid no older than eighteen was threatening them. That in itself was enough for the bald one to switch his knife from Jake to Will. ¡°Kid, if you think you have what it takes to take me on, I''ll show you just how wrong you are,¡± he said while flashing the knife in front of Will.


    ¡°Fine then, sir,¡± Will looked at the man while in a haze of murderous intent. ¡°You take the first shot,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°Show me how wrong I was.¡± Will was ready for anything. He had been through hell and back in less than a year. He had been to a different world in which he only knew suffering. Maya''s face flashed in his mind. He was not ever going to lose an innocent again as long as they were within his ability to save, he would bathe in blood before allowing even one to feel pain.


    Jake just stared at Will; he had been around a lot of people in his life. Some of them had been as friendly as Will just to turn into something else completely after a threat had emerged though none of them had been that young and not hardly as intimidating.


    What could he possibly gain by helping him? He was putting himself in the line of death just to protect someone like him who had no value within the world. If he could only get away from the two henchmen, he would at least be able to give Will a running start. But as he looked at the other man, he was completely calm. If he were yelling or screaming obscenities, it wouldn''t be as bad, but as he looked into Will''s eyes, he saw someone who shouldn''t even be talked to the wrong way. It was as if he were a completely different person from the one who approached him. He knew somehow, Will wouldn''t lose this match.


    As he was being held down, Jake saw the bald man lunge for Will, he could see that by the man''s movements, he wasn''t a stranger to using the blade. His movement was quick and calculating, obviously going for a kill with the first strike.


    Had he not had extensive training by his uncle, Will would undoubtedly been hit by such a strike. Seeing the blade coming for him, Will sidestep to the right, sending his elbow toward his assailant¡¯s exposed neck from behind. The bald man was knocked off balance by the surprise counterstrike as he stumbled past Will. He had to hold back almost all his strength so he didn''t accidentally break the man''s neck, but he figured just that should have been enough to make the man back down. Will didn''t feel as though he should kill this man. If he did, what would make him any different from his assailants?The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Hardly able to keep on his feet, the man finally regained his balance, turning around, he sent a murderous glare to the boy that was staring at him as if nothing happened. Will only smiled back at him, obviously not even feeling the severity of what he had just done.


    Will felt sorry for this man. It wasn''t too long ago that he was in the same position, fighting an inevitable defeat. Will had been beaten so many times without any hope of success; he knew what must be going through in this man''s head. First the wraiths, then Michael. He had even lost Maya because he wasn''t strong enough. He had made a silent oath after that horrible defeat to never let someone he cared about be harmed again, that he would be strong enough to fight for those who stood with him. Now it was time to live up to that oath and show Jake he was a man of his word.


    With new conviction, the man entered a barrage of stabs toward Will though nothing compared to what he had to deal with when sparring with Michael. He dodged every blow without any help from his aura. Jake could clearly see the look in Will''s eyes as he dodged every blow. The man felt as though he were a ghost. Just before the bald man landed a hit with the knife, Will simply stepped aside as though he were just avoiding an object.


    The man showed no intention of letting up, and Will was getting bored. Finally, after what seemed like ten minutes, Will caught the knife arm. The man tried to pull away, but Will put a little of his aura into his hold increasing his strength. The more the man pulled, the stronger Will''s hold became.


    Seeing that he was getting nowhere, the man used his other arm to punch Will in the ribs. With each punch, he realized this kid wasn''t normal, he didn''t let go, and he didn''t even look like the blows were affecting him.


    The man had no intention of stopping anytime soon. He continued to punch Will in the ribs, trying as hard as he could to make this kid let him go. With each hit, Will''s eyes grew darker. No matter what he tried, the man wouldn''t let go of the knife, he wouldn''t stop trying to kill. Will''s demeanor had changed from playful to dangerous. He grabbed the man''s other hand right before yet another strike. Holding it as if he were holding a child''s hand, he lightly squeezed it. The man screamed as he felt a finger break.


    ¡°Let Jake go,¡± Will said in a dangerous voice, ¡°he''s not going to help you anymore, and you should already know you won''t win.¡± The man¡¯s face twisted into a look of pure rage.


    ¡°Get over here and help me with this asshole!¡± The bald man screamed at his men. In an instant, Will was surrounded by the men, yet he still held the man''s hands.


    Jake couldn''t believe what he was seeing. The bald man had attacked and killed dozens of people for their money right in front of him. He was the reason Jake felt like the situation was useless, that he would never get out. To his astonishment, the young man William was the only person needed to push him to the limits. Jake looked yet again into Will''s eyes, he didn''t see even a shred of mercy within them. If the man didn''t give up, Will would kill him.


    The two men pulled out their own knives and within moments, they were going for Will. In their minds it was an easy fix, his two hands were preoccupied by their boss. All it would take was one of them to land a hit, and the kid would be down.


    As the two ran in for the kill, Will twisted both hands until he heard two snaps. The boss screamed as both of his hands broke. With the man on the ground in shock, Will had his hands back. The men with knives came from both sides, but Will had plenty of time to react. Using his aura, he allowed time to slow down around him. Both knives were about to reach his ribs on either side. Before that happened, Will snatched both hands, snapping them as he did with their boss. Both men clutched their hands as they howled in terror.


    ¡°As I said, my friend over there is under my protection,¡± Will said as he looked from baldy to his goons. ¡°Your boss just lost the ability to put his hands on my friend there,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°You have also tried to lay hands on me,¡± he said while turning to the two, ¡°I''ve left you with one hand each that should be enough to take your boss and leave.¡± His smile shifted to a dangerous scowl, ¡°Unless of course you want to lose those as well.¡± The men could sense his intent and quickly got to their feet. Eyes wide in fear, they grabbed their boss and ran away.


    Will waited until the three rounded the corner before looking back at Jake. ¡°Maybe you would think of joining me now that your debt has been cleared?¡± He asked with a sincere smile on his face.


    All he could do was stare at the boy. His first thought of him was that it was less likely that he could hold up his end of the deal. Seeing the way Will fought the bald man, fighting for a complete stranger, made him wonder if what Will said was true. Maybe he should take a step out of himself and take him up on the offer.


    Will lowered his hand for the tattered clothed Jake to grasp. Still smiling, Will gestured him to get up. ¡°By taking this hand, you cast off all ties to this life. No more street corner, and no more submission by intimidation,¡± he said with a serious look down at Jake. ¡°If you take this hand, your life begins again.¡±


    Jake looked at the hand. He was sure to a point that Will could hold up the deal in which he made. He looked back at the corner where he had been for the past year doing nothing but begging. His life has been bleak at best, struggling for his next meal, more times than not, having to resort to restaurant dumpsters to stay alive. At that time, he realized what Will was offering no matter if it was false or not, was a better deal by far than what he now had.


    Jake slowly reached his hand up, half expecting Will to take his back like it was a joke. Showing his sincerity, Will met him halfway and brought him to his feet.


    ¡°Hey, Bianca,¡± Will called out behind him with a smile. ¡°We are going shopping for one more.¡± Will pointed behind him to Jake with a smile.

 Chapter 24: Changes

    Will and the others returned after getting Jake a wardrobe to put in one of the empty rooms. Seeing his reaction when he saw the mansion was enough to put a smile on Will''s face. He had almost instantly warmed up to Jake; besides his shortcomings in life, he seemed like an interesting person to have around. Having been on the streets, Jake had to have at least a little bit of fighting experience in order to protect what was his, so Will decided to put it to the test within a few days.


    Having settled Jake into his new room, Will went to find Michael in order to update him on what had happened. He was slightly prepared for anything that might happen. Should his uncle disagree with his actions, he would use his money in which Michael gave him to set up a rent payment per month. He would not accept that Jake wouldn''t be able to stay, should it come to that.


    Searching the manor, Will found Michael in the garden room. As soon as he entered, he was in awe. It seemed as though he fit a small lawn within the mansion. It was nothing but grass and trees everywhere as if summertime only existed within that particular part of the building while outside was nothing but a winter wonderland.


    Michael was sitting on a bench drinking tea when Will found him. A decent sized tree was giving him a shade from the artificial sun in which kept everything green. ¡°William, you''ve finally returned,¡± Michael said with a smile almost as bright as the room was. ¡°Tell me how your day off went.¡± Patting on the bench next to him, he invited Will to take a seat.


    Will started with telling him how much shopping Bianca had put him through. Showing his clearly evident distaste for the task, Michael couldn''t help but laugh. Will then told him about meeting Jake.


    ¡°What exactly did you feel when you saw him?¡± Michael asked, curious as to why his nephew was so captivated by one homeless person. It seemed as though he was waiting for an answer that he already knew.


    ¡°When I saw him, I felt like it was my obligation to help him,¡± Will said honestly. ¡°When the men came to us and shoved their knives in his face, I couldn''t exactly allow it to happen.¡± Will had a look of mixed feelings. ¡°I put the men in their place and asked Jake to join us here and help with my training,¡± fidgeting with his hands, he waited to see if Michael was going to say anything. After a moment of silence, Will took another breath. ¡°I saw strength in him,¡± he said as he looked at Michael. ¡°I saw that he would be someone I would want on my side later.¡± With that, he waited for his uncle''s response.


    ¡°You sound more like your father than you know,¡± Michael said after a long drawn out sigh. ¡°Before you and your mother left, he was also looking for people with strong values in order to change the kingdom.¡± Michael looked at Will with a look of complex emotions. ¡°You are going to be a very important person very soon, William. You need to be the one to pick out your supporters.¡± Michael smiled as he saw Will''s face brighten ever so slightly. ¡°Your friend can stay as long as you wish him to, I feel like you need a change in sparring partners anyway,¡± he said as he got up. ¡°You might want to integrate Bianca into the training as well, I feel like she would benefit as well.¡± Will was instantly confused as he thought of his uncle¡¯s parting words.


    Why would he spar with Bianca? It wasn''t a sexist thing, but he didn''t think she had any fighting experience whatsoever. Though sooner or later, she would need to be able to defend herself, so it wouldn''t be too bad of an idea to get her started. Pulling out his phone, he sent a flame into it and thought of Bianca. Within moments, a picture of her in the dining room with Jake showed up.


    ¡°Bianca, take Jake outside by the pond, I''ll be there in just a moment.¡± With that, he let the picture dim before he put the phone back in his pocket. As soon as he sent the message, he went to the gym in which she showed him before they left to go shopping and grabbed three wooden swords.


    Will arrived outside first, so he had a moment to think about what he was going to tell them. He knew that sooner or later, they would be put in the same position as Maya where the cloaks would have them surrounded. If they didn''t know how to protect themselves, they were as good as dead. He could only be in so many places at once, and he was just starting to get the hang of his own power. Ensuring that they could take care of themselves would allow him to focus on the fight in front of him instead of at all sides.


    Bianca and Jake appeared from the entrance to the manor. Will could tell just by the look on Jake''s face that he was worried. He didn''t know why he was summoned to the outside of the manor, and he was thinking the worst. Will would have to apologize to him later for the misunderstanding. Within moments, both of them were in front of him obviously confused as to why he had swords in the snow next to him.


    ¡°First thing I would like to say,¡± Will started his explanation with a smile. He turned to Jake first. ¡°You have been allowed to stay, just as I said you were.¡± He had to smile when he saw the look of relief on Jake''s face. Will understood that what he had given the man was something no one could truly expect. ¡°Secondly,¡± Will continued, his smile vanishing and was replaced by a look of seriousness, ¡°both of you are going to start training alongside me.¡± He saw Bianca''s face light up as he continued his instructions. ¡°Michael and myself understand the situation that we are in, unfortunately with both of you here, you have also been added into the equation,¡± Will said as he looked at the two of whom he had been entrusted with. ¡°I would not be at peace unless I know you two will be able to handle yourselves in situations that call for action. Of course you have a choice in the matter as soon as you feel this life is too hard, you can leave.¡± Looking at the two, he couldn''t help but remember when he was in the same position, asking Michael to make him stronger.


    ¡°I told you I was in,¡± Bianca was the first to speak up. ¡°No matter how dangerous, I won''t leave your side.¡± She gave him a serious look as she picked up one of the training swords that were sitting on the ground. Will smiled at her; he knew her resolve to stay with him. One of the things he had always respected about her was her sense of justice, she didn''t even question why Jake got in the car to come back with them nor did she complain about the money they spent on him.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Jake had a complex look on his face, he looked deep in thought. ¡°Can you teach me to fight like you did?¡± He asked as he looked at Will. ¡°I want to gain the same strength I saw as you saved me from the streets.¡± Will smiled at him, he didn''t know if he could extend the exact power, but he could turn him into a force to be reckoned with. Will nodded to him, and Jake turned serious. ¡°After everything you have done for me, I don''t think I could say no if I tried,¡± he said as he searched for the right words to say. ¡°I owe you my life, Will, wherever you go I go.¡± In that instant, his resolve was set, and he picked up the other sword.


    ¡°All right then, the first part of your training is to do two hours of sword thrusts,¡± Will said with a smile. All of it seemed nostalgic as he saw the two of them take their positions. He had to instruct them in the proper way of handling the sword just as Michael did, but in ten minutes, they were hard at work.


    Will watched them for the full two hours, neither of them faltered in their training, neither of them so much as complained. Will called time as soon as his phone reached two hours. Both of them were covered in a light coat of sweat as they turned to him for the next exercise. Will picked up the other training sword as he looked at the two. ¡°I want both of you to come at me, we will not move forward until you can land one strike.¡± Taking up his familiar stance, he beckoned them forward.


    They came with no hesitation, committed to landing a strike to move on in their training. At first their strikes were sloppy, and he was able to land about ten points per minute between the each of them. Though as they started to get used to their weapon, he had to be double on defensive. Within a half hour, he had to switch to using his aura to fend them off. Both Bianca and Jake had taken a team effort to gain their point. While Bianca went for his left, Jake would take the right. Many points in time, Will had to use his aura in order to jump out of the way of a dual attack.


    It was toward the end of their sparring session that Will had started to notice something different. He was watching Bianca attack when he noticed a slight red hue surrounding her. He thought it was his imagination until he saw her sword take on the same color. She had become faster to the point that he had to use the same barrage that Michael did against him so many times. Switching to his other hand Will deflected Jake¡¯s advance when he noticed the same occurrence within his new friend. Jake had taken a darker aura as black as the obsidian gate that brought Will to Crystallia at first.


    Will was pushed to his limits as black and red were attacking him on all sides. He had no idea what was going on. How could they possibly gain an aura? I thought that was just a thing in Crystallia, Will thought to himself as he blocked another attempt by Jake. In a split second from then, Will could feel a wooden sword at the back of his neck. He turned to see Bianca holding the blade, her expression was ferocious. ¡°Point,¡± she muttered before she started to fall to the ground. Will caught her before she hit the snow.


    All Will could do is to sit on the ground while she was unconscious on his lap. Jake had taken a seat on the fountain, waiting for his other sparring partner to come to. He had a worried look on his face as he watched the rise and fall of her breathing as if making sure she was still alive. It only took three minutes for her to come to. Opening her eyes, she stared up at Will. ¡°Did we do good?¡± She asked, hoping for at least a little praise from her instructor.


    Will furrowed his brows; he had no idea what to make of this turn of events. He needed to get to Michael as soon as he could to ask him how this could happen. Will sat Bianca up, still using a hand for support as she steadied herself. ¡°You two have done way better than I could have possibly imagined.¡± He smiled to the two of them; he couldn''t feel any happier at the turn of events if he had been given a million dollars though he already had been given much more than that. Will chuckled at the thought.


    ¡°I want you both to do something for me,¡± he said as he got both of their attention. ¡°Sit cross-legged for a moment.¡± Both of them did as they were told, sitting on the snowy ground waiting to see what was next. ¡°I want you two to picture something for me,¡± he said as he paced the ground near them. ¡°Close your eyes, picture heat, picture a sunny day or anything in which you would apply the word ¡®heat¡¯ to, and hold onto that feeling.¡± Will stopped in front of them as he watched their expressions. Bianca was the first to notice it, Jake followed only moments after. Both of their faces were riddled in confusion.


    ¡°What you both have noticed is something I call a second skin or aura,¡± Will started his explanation of his flame. ¡°Imagine it circulating in your body as your blood does in your veins.¡± Will watched them intently as they took the first step in learning how to master their new abilities. ¡°If you get that part down, imagine it circulating into the palm of your hand in the shape of a flame.¡± As he watched, Bianca had presented a pure ruby red candle flame within the palm of her hand while Jake had presented a pure black one. Within a few seconds, both of them put down their hands and looked completely exhausted.


    ¡°Will, was that magic?¡± Bianca asked as she looked at Will with a completely dumbfounded expression. ¡°How in the world is it even possible that I can do that?¡± She was both shocked and excited at the same time. Will had to stop her from trying to repeat the same action. Jake had the same dumbfounded expression his training partner had. First, he had been invited to live in a mansion with all the food he could eat, and now he was learning magic? If the welts on his body weren''t throbbing, he would have thought all of it was a dream.


    ¡°For now, go back to your rooms and meditate for an hour. Before that, make sure you get plenty of food.¡± Will was in a hurry to get to Michael to ask about this change in events. ¡°Your aura will strengthen again in one hour. You will feel a surge of strength when it''s ready.¡± He continued his instruction. ¡°Think of this aura as you would a muscle, you have to use it in order for it to grow stronger.¡± He watched his apprentices as they absorbed any piece of information that may help them. ¡°With each time you use it, you will be able to use it longer the next.¡±


    Will circulated his aura to his own hand. Instead of it being a candle, he created five watermelon sized flames. ¡°With enough practice, you will be able to hold five flames this size for an entire day.¡± Jake¡¯s jaw dropped as he saw the amount of power Will had already amassed. It wasn''t too surprising to Will though, he had trained his flame every day for at least six months, if he wasn''t at this level yet, it would mean he was slacking.


    Will excused Bianca and Jake after his explanation and dismissed his flame. How is this even possible? he thought to himself. If there was anyone who could tell him, it was his uncle. Will hurried back to the manor in the hopes of some much needed answers. If anything was clear, it was that Will wouldn''t have to worry too much anymore about his new partners being able to handle themselves.