56 A Carried Whisper

Enjoying the feel of wind whipping through his hair, Leo rocketed through the sky as he did for two nights since he learned to fly. The New York city lights twinkled beneath him as if the midnight sky had settled below.

He had already taken a few laps around the statue of liberty, trying hard to stay out of the light of the island, but he knew at least a few people had to have seen him. Leo didn't know whether he was upset that they did, or amused at the shocked expressions he witnessed.

He flew around time square, remembering how many times he and Will had stayed at his place to watch the ball drop on the television.

It was a feeling he had always wanted to experience, the sensation of his fingers caressing the clouds. Ever since he had seen Aladdin as a child in his magic carpet, he had always wondered what it would feel like.

Leo looked below within the city, if he focussed hard enough, he would see many crimson lights within the city lights. He sighed to himself as he thought of the last few days.

It started with the kids being introduced to a television. From that moment, they also figured out how to turn the channel to the news. All it took was for Roy to see a robbery in progress to get him pumped up enough to go out to the streets. Since then, Will's Royal Flame Crusade had been unleashed within the streets of New York. Now, whenever there were reports on the news, he could almost see the new recruits rush out of the mansion in the direction of trouble.

Instead of trying to contain them, Leo let them go like the force of nature they were. If the men and women were to be of any use in battle, they would first need experience anyway.

Leo integrated patrol at night into his schedule as a way to clear his head for the next day. Since he returned, he would spend three hours researching different ways of modernizing Ebonhart as per Will's request. He would then spar two hours with Roy and the others. After a long session with the men, he would have breakfast.

Most of his day would be spent in an office that Michael set up for him when he got home. He had a lot of studying to do if he was going to be of any use to Will when he returned to Crystallia. He also set aside some time with Michael for some private training. Even though Roy was becoming a formidable opponent, nothing could compete with decades of combat experience.

Leo allowed his mind to relax while he flew through the sky. It was such an exhilarating experience, he wished Bianca were there to feel it with him.

Even though it had been a few days, it felt as though it was only a few moments ago that he saw Bianca board a private jet to return to Minnesota. She looked miserable as she climbed the stairs. Not once did she look back to him. Not once did she give the appearance that she was regretting her decision.

It still bothered Leo that it was such an easy decision for Bianca to make. How could she turn against someone she had been with for so many years?

Sure, Leo thought as he light my touched a cloud next to him as he spiraled through the air. It isn't as if things haven't changed within the past year, but he's still the same Will.

Leo thought back to middle school when he met Will. He had been a socially awkward child, never reaching out for a friend. He had always seemed perfectly fine with being alone, but Leo knew better. He had seen the loneliness within his best friend as if it were a chink in his armor. He had always seen an isolated kid, someone who didn't reach, only because he was afraid of what might grab hold.

Will had always looked for his place within the world, even as a child. When Leo finally approached him, it seemed like Will didn't even know how to respond. It was as if he hadn't had a conversation with anyone before.

He had always been made fun of for his one syllable answers to questions. He was the center of attention for his class because he refused to interact with anyone.

Leo didn't give Will a choice. He had finally approached him on the soccer hill and invited him to hang out. He would never forget the look on Will's face, it was as if he was relieved that someone actually realized he existed.

Will was the same now as he was back then. He continuously worked to gain others approval, as if he was reaching out and asking others to know he exists. As if he was a dying ember which needed to be stoked to make a decent sized fire.

That is the kind of man anyone could follow, Leo thought as he looked down upon the city.

Leo snapped out of his revelry as a familiar presence entered his mind. If you are done with your worship of our glorious Prince, the voice had a mocking tone to it. I could use a sparring partner.

Leo smiled as he turned back to Devereux Manor. This time I swear I'll land you on your ass.

Leo could almost hear Michael as he chuckled from the mansion. And just like the other ten times, I'll prove that you can't.

A bond had formed between Leo and Michael since he had gotten back. It was almost as if the man had become an uncle to him as well as Will.

Leo set down in the courtyard in the back of the manor, he knew the one up front would have most of the other wielders training their weapons, but had been told not to use the other. Michael had that one reserved for his own training.

Leo heard a high pitched whistle of admiration and smiled. He knew Michael had to have been standing right behind him. "I really need to learn how to do that." he said as water circled playfully around him.

"Sure," Leo said amusingly. "You show me how you control water and I'll give you some air tricks." he chuckled lightly.

"Instead," the water stopped dead in its tracks as Michael grabbed hold of it. "Why don't you stop blowing wind out your ass and fight?" a smile formed on Will's uncle's face as the water formed into a lance.

Leo held up his lineage ring as wind circled around him. He took his other hand and cupped his ring finger. He then pulled his silver and gold sword from the ring. "Your funeral." he said with a smirk.

In an instant, Leo parried a lance with his blade. A smiling Michael whipped around him, lowering the lance to Leo's knees with the intent to throw him off balance.

Responding in turn, Leo took to the sky before the lance could connect. He took a second to look back at Michael with a mocking grin, just in time to notice three ice daggers heading straight for him.

Before they could reach, Leo summoned a gale of wind to knock them off course. As they missed, he flew around the courtyard noticing more and more ice projectiles heading his way.

Leo knew if he were to stop, there was a chance he could be skewered by the daggers of ice. He also knew from the many training sessions he had with Michael that he could keep it up all day.

Leo flew once more in a circle until he faced Michael head on from the other side of the courtyard. He raced towards his opponent at full speed, knocking away ice daggers with his sword the moment he was alerted by his aura.

Only feet away from Michael, he saw a wall of ice coming up from the ground and banked left quickly. A moment later I would be a bug in a windshield, Leo thought with a sigh of relief.

"Tell me you have more than that leo," Michael yelled in mock annoyance. "The only way you'll kill me at this point is with boredom!" he laughed as Leo turned to face him.

Michael was now within a thick looking dome of ice. Since Leo was strictly a wind aura user, it was a great plan.

"How are you going to be able to attack me with that up?" Leo yelled at his opponent. "Don't tell me you are just going to wait me out."

Just as Leo finished speaking, he noticed spikes forming along the outside of the barrier. I had to ask, he thought as the spikes shot out in every direction.

Leo avoided all he could with his blade, all that he couldn't miss he used his aura to deflect.

Annoyance began building within Leo. With his flame aura he could have burned his way through the solid ice formation, but he only had a few ideas he hadn't yet tested with his new wind affinity.

Allowing his wind aura to come forth, tiny lightning bolts surrounded him as if he were his own miniature storm.

If I can't use flame, he thought as he focused on the tiny gold lightning bolts. I guess I'll have to try something else! Leo forced the tiny bolts to stop dancing around him. He focused them into a central point within his aura.

Confident that he had complete control, Leo shot the lightning from within his storm towards the barrier. To his surprise, instead of a tiny strike of lightning as he thought would be produced, a huge beam of gold shot from him which caved in the top of the dome.

Leo landed in the dome to face a dazed Michael in the center. With his sword to Michael's neck, Leo chuckled. "Told you I'd kick your ass."

Michael could only stare up at Leo for a moment. "How did you do that?" he asked. "I thought you only had a wind affinity."

Leo thought about his question for a moment. "I'm not sure, all I did was focus on the golden lightning bolts within my aura."

"Does Will have that same aura?" Michael asked with wide eyes, he was obviously interested. "Does he have the lightning playing around his as well?"

Leo thought back to the fight between Will and Jake when his brother had first awoken his wind affinity. "I think so, he may have used an entire pillar of crimson flame with lightning within to blow away the corrupt army Jake brought with him." He looked down to Michael who was currently trying to control his breathing.

"I keep forgetting to have you fill me in on what happened there." he said as his breathing finally slowed.

"If you are this powerful," he rose to his feet and looked at his nephew's friend. "I can only imagine how much stronger will has become."

"Well," Leo said as he raised an eyebrow. "I kind of just told you that he blew away an army with one swipe of his scythe." he smiled at Michael who only paled more.

"You didn't tell me he had a scythe." his voice was low yet the tone was one of admiration. "So this is what it means to be a god candidate."

Leo's ears perked up at the mention of a god candidate. "Care to explain what that means?" Leo was starting to understand Michael's annoyance from being kept out of the loop.

"That's an easy one." Michael said with an eyebrow raised. "Will had been chosen through blood to ascend to the height of the gods." a half smile formed on his lips as he looked at Leo. "He has been chosen for something the likes this land nor Euphellia has ever seen before."

"Well it figures he'd leave that part out." Leo said shaking his head.

'Trust me,' Leo heard Will's voice from inside his head. 'I'll fill you in later, but now I need your help.'

Leo looked up to the sky as the voice trailed away. "Looks like our god candidate is in need of assistance." he looked at Michael with a smile of his own forming. "Care to join?"