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***************************************************************************** From The Past:
Gail started looking around. "I think they're waking up. They may kill each other if we don't show them how to control the first power bursts. Try to keep your mind on something else, for now. They're going to need you." I nodded, and started disconnecting my self from the dream realm. ***************************************************************************** Chapter 8:
I snapped back to reality, holding back the emotions from my memories. It took a few minutes, but eventually everyone was disconnected. We walked to where the guys were sleeping, and prepared for the first power burst. Joey was first. As he was waking, the earth began to shake. We had separated them so we could protect them easier. I had Justin, and JC. Gail, with Joey, was doing her best to protect him. The earth shook harder, and harder. It began to lift under him. The mountain grew taller. Gail was chanting her heart out, containing the burst. A tall tube-like mountain grew, and grew. It looked almost like it was penetrating the sky itself. Joey soon became fully aware of his surroundings. Gail discovered this when she heard a bloodcurdling scream from high above. "Show time." She whispered to herself as she flew toward the top.
Anthony, with Chris, was having a hard time, since he was not yet sixteen.(Don't worry... It'll be explained.) A small tornado was growing around his body. It was soon as tall as Joey's Mountain. It seemed to grab the sky, and suck into the core of it's existence. It suddenly stopped twirling as it became coated in ice. With Chris suspended high above the ground on a frozen tornado, Anthony flew up to him. Chris didn't seem to notice how high he was. He stood, and groggily walked to the edge. His eyes flew open, and he fell backwards. Anthony caught him, smiled, and prepared to teach him how to get down.
Vincent was finishing the containment tube when it started. A brilliant flame shot from the sky, down to Lance. It suspended him twenty feet above ground. He sprouted beautiful white wings. The flame lowered him to the ground, laying him down gently. Lance awoke before the test was completed, and had to see the punishments of heaven as his body was tested. If he could withstand this, he would never have to suffer another burst. Vincent prayed he wouldn't give in. The first punishment showed itself. A comet flew toward the blonde angel. He was beyond terrified. The comet struck his body. He could feel the intense heat for a few seconds, followed by the bone chilling cold. The explosion suddenly seemed to be sucked into an invisible vacuum. It left a small, burning hole in the air. Lance looked himself over. He was ecstatic. Without warning, the burning holed imploded. This new bursts of heat, and cold hit with such force, it almost knocked Lance to the ground. Without realizing, he covered himself with his wings. He could no longer feel the heat, or cold. The force was like a soft breeze. The first punishment vanished as Lance emerged from his winged sanctuary. The other punishments were a lance of lightning striking his heart. Vincent couldn't help but remark. "No pun intended." He chuckled. Next was a holy light. A bright flash that blinded all that witnessed. Lances eyes were untouched. He had passed the tests of physical strength, courage, love, and was now read for the final test. What he could withstand mentally was a strong effluence on how powerful he would become. If he withstood all of it, he would be one of the most powerful creatures on Derux. A single ray of light hit him in the center of his forehead. Connecting with his soul. Connecting with his mind. Vincent had a serious look on his face. He knew how painful this would be. The ray pulsated many different colors. Lance screamed out in pain. Hoping something, anything would save him. The ray vanished. Vincent staggered back, and fell. "He ... He withstood it all?"
JC was stirring. I sighed. I hummed as the air around me started glowing slightly. It seemed to solidify, then it vanished. Fire protection would help out a lot. JC's hair began to burn. It was white fire -- the hottest. The skin on his hands shifted like lava. They then turned a glowing red. The ground under each hand became scorched by the intense heat. The hardened lava flowed up his arms, to his chest. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was covering his entire body. I hadn't found any boots for him, so I could see when it finished covering his body. Every hair on his body was burning. I stepped back, preparing. He suddenly burst into flame. The heat blast reached beyond the containment tube, and the shield around me vibrated as it struggled to keep the heat out. The fire died down as a disk of fire formed under him. It turned into snakelike elementals, and crawled under his robes. It burned to slits in the back of his robe. Two black wings extended from the holes. They were demonic in shape. His color returned to normal, but the wings stayed. They then turned a deep crimson. JC became conscious. He looked around, noticing something behind him. It moved with him. He saw me and stopped. "Wh.. Who is behind me?" He asked timidly. I laughed, and suddenly noticed Justin stirring. To prevent any of the guys running to another's aid, we locked them in the tubes. Justin would be the hardest to contain. It was a joint effort. I yelled out to the others, and they ran over. "Whatever you do, don't let him get out!" Yelled Vincent.
Justin's body started shaking violently. Blood dripped from his mouth. The other four guys looked like they were pounding on air, trying to get to him. His arms started bulging, flesh tearing. Fur sprouted over his entire body. His mouth had opened, as well as his eyes. His teeth twisted into razor-sharp fangs. His eyes were glowing red. He stood, in the form of a werewolf. He didn't know how to talk with his fangs. He sputtered nonsense for a while, until finally. "What is happening?" Before anyone could answer, he howled in pain. He covered his stomach. The pain was tearing him apart. He grew, and grew. He was now taller than the mountain, and the frozen tornado. The clouds swirled around him, like bees around a hive. His fur turned from a silky brown to a shining silver. Solid steel teeth, combined with fur of pure silver. Both as sharp as razors. His power was still primitive, so his more powerful forms were, too. He roared in anguish. The sound seemed to burn my soul. With that, the creature shrunk to the smaller wolf, then to Justin's human form. We lowered all the tubes, and the guys ran toward Justin.
"What the hell happened to us?" Asked JC, a bit mad. "Why didn't you warn us?" I looked at JC, and started explaining. "They're called power bursts. They test your bodies, to see if you're prepared to develop your powers. You are all ready." Chris noticed something different. "Hey! How come JC, and Lance get wings?" I smiled. "Lance is now an angel. Only an angel can control the powers of heaven, so he had to be converted, so to speak. He now knows more than you will ever be able to comprehend, and he'll never tell a soul." Lance smiled. "Awww, c'mon! Tell us! Please!" Lance laughed. "And lose these?" he said, flapping his wings. "I don't think so." Chris pouted. "Whats up with those?" Joey asked, pointing to JC. "He a demon, now?" I cocked an eyebrow. "Chris, demons are associated with hell. They do not believe in hell, so they don't know what a demon is." Lance gained knowledge about our world, but his basic knowledge of Heaven, and Hell could not be overcome. The human mind hasn't yet been cracked by the guardians that perform these conversions, and bursts. Lance decided to answer Joey's question. "JC is now an elemental. As are you, and Joey. Fire elementals all have wings. Wings of fire. With every flap of those wings, a spark is created. Until he learns to control his power, he will light fires all over the world while flying. That is why Vincent will be teaching him." JC sighed. "Hey. I know you don't trust me, but if you don't want to burn a group of children playing in a dry wheat field, you'll let me teach you how to control your power." Vincent was getting angry. JC nodded. "OK." I started. "I'll be teaching Lance. Gail, since your nature is shape-shifting, you take Justin. Anthony, you get to learn with Chris. What you know from the academy will enable you to teach him the basics, and you can both ask the pro's, here, any questions that may arise." Joey stepped in my line of view. "What about me?" He asked, hoping to learn under Gail. "Vincent is a master at controlling fire, and earth. He gets to put up with you. Justin was a very curious young man. Whats yours?" He asked. "My...?" He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean!" It snapped. "Oh yeah. Why do you think I'm teaching Lance?" I asked. "Heavens?" He guessed. I shook my head. "Very close. Thats one of them, but not quite. Heaven, and hell. I'm well balanced, unlike some people." I stuck my tongue out at Lance. "I also harness my emotion, and use them to do some awesome things." I held up my hand. "Like reading minds." I smiled, grabbed Lance by the arm, and walked toward my pack.
"Jacob. I think you know more than you told Gail." I stopped suddenly. "You're not supposed to be able to read minds." I didn't want anyone to know. "I know it's painful. One person you have met will change your life. You will reveal to him what you know, and you destiny will become clear. Under the crimson tears of Reya you shall know your path. Whether or not you succeed is not clear." Lance fell into a heap on the ground. "Damn it. I didn't know he would become a channel." I carried him to where my pack was. I set him down, and grabbed my things. I picked him back up, and carried him to where the rest of the group was gathering. None of the guys noticed, because their backs were turned. Vincent got up, walked over to me. "Channel?" I nodded. "Put him down. Hey, guys! Jacob didn't hurt Lance. A God used his body to speak to Jake, and that exhausted him. He'll only be asleep for a few minutes." The guys nodded, accepting this explanation. They watched Lance. When he awoke they walked to him. "Whoa. That was weird." The rest of the guys helped him up. "We should probably leave soon." I said. "Where are we going?" Vincent had a way with points. "I think we should head to Camelot. They have a huge library. Maybe we can find something about this prophecy." Anthony cringed at the name of the city. I noticed, but decided not to pry. "Anthony, when is your birthday?" He smiled. "Next week." He would be turning sixteen next week. He would start developing powers. Sixteen was when people on this world reached adulthood. "How far is it?" I asked. "I'd say about a days walk." No one was looking forward to that. "What about the stables here? Was that destroyed, too?" Vincent's eyes sparkled. "I forgot about that! They're fine. That should only be about a half a day. We can bring a few extras to sell." I smiled, and walked toward the stables, followed by the rest of the group.
I picked a black stallion. Gail got a white, and brown spotted mare. Vincent found a special breed of dragon. Red, with black horns extending from it's skull. He laughed. "I got the best! Neener neener neener!" He felt the tension in the air, and was trying to ease it a little. The JC, Chris, and Joey rode zebra-like mare's. Lance picked a pure white stud. Justin got the other black. Anthony rode with Gail. He didn't have the experience to control the wild horses that were left. We started toward Camelot. "Wait. You guys have a Camelot, too?" Asked JC. I shrugged. "I guess."
How was that? I still can't believe I got this out so fast. Go me! :) E-mail at: TruAmricanBadAss@AOL.com. IM there, or Morbbdream. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Bye-bye!