The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Twenty-Five: Revenge - The Last Rising Sun

Rhet slept in bouts the night before. Dreams and nightmares of fiery death, retribution, glory, disaster, and finally the battle going on in his own mind between the light and darkness that happens in all men once they do things they regret. Yet still, Rhet never complained about his lack of sleep. Not once. He knew of worse fates, fates his master protected him from. Fates that wouldn't allow for a second chance. Besides, he had been sleeping with these demons for seventeen years. Not even now did they hold any lasting precedence in his mind.

When Rhet awoke the final time he was met with a sword pointed at his neck. Tora stood over his body ready to lean forward and let her weight dig the blade into Rhet's esophagus. None of her strength would be needed for it.

"Why?" Was the only sound Rhet made. He didn't move a muscle, nor did he seem scared, angry, or even disappointed. Rhet looked as though he had been expecting this for quite a while.

"You planned on killing me to kill this Demoness. I don't plan on dying so soon to a man like you." Tora looked down on Rhet as though he was lesser than the dirt he lied on.

"I can explain." Stuttered Rhet.

"You already have to me." Said Nano. "I got it out of you yesterday when we spoke. I explained it to everyone else, and now we know all about this whole situation. And exactly how you're involved in this whole predicament."

"I wonder how your master would feel if she had known that you planned on killing a girl in hopes to fulfill a prophecy that only benefits you." Svetra approached him from his right. "Pitiful."

"It's not exactly like that!" Rhet began to lift himself up before he felt the tip of Tora's sword on his throat.

"Then how is it exactly?" Asked Jasper. "How is it that all this isn't to save your own skin and avenge your master."

"The Demoness is my master."

Tora was shocked by the revelation the most. She looked towards Nano, to see if he thought it was impossible. Yet, to her horror, Nano's face changed from idle boredom to concern. This could not be good.

"Listen, we might not need to kill you, but we need your blood!" Rhet was scared, and yet still hiding what he knew.

"Only if you tell us why." Said Tora.

"I think you are a Chosen of The Mother. My prophecy told of a woman who would hold the ideals of The Mother true to her heart and that she would carry with her the essence of The Mother. That it would be in her hair, her breath, her blood, and all that came from her."

"Blood is very easy to work with where magic is concerned." Nano approached Tora. "I needn't more than just a small vial to make powerful weapons against this Demoness. Hold out your arm for just a moment.

Tora looked hesitant, but she held her arm out towards Nano. Nano whispered incantations and drew a vial from a bag on his belt. It was small, only enough to hold a piece of vine. Nano pressed an index finger onto Tora's forearm. Tora felt a small prick. As Nano pulled back his finger a thin flow of blood followed his finger like ribbon attached to a dancers baton. As he pulled away more blood followed, and before long Nano brought the same finger back to the spot of Tora's forearm. He moved Tora's arm away with the hand that held the vial and as the blood followed to the point where Tora's arm was the blood again followed the natural laws of the world. It was there that Nano held his vial. Once the vial filled he placed a cork top onto it.

"With just this much we can fight the Demoness. Svetra! How are you with a spear?" Nano couldn't decide whether he was more excited or scared of the Demoness.

"I don't like the spear, but I do like the halberd."

"Even better. What handle do you want?"

"Give me oak."

"Of course. And what about spike to blade ratio?

"Ratio?"

"How big blade to spike!"

"Oh, smaller spike, bigger blade."

"Thank you."

Nano held out his hand above the earth and tried to calm himself. His natural magic wasn't too great, but it would have to do.

"Grē'mon, Zhyet'wertum, Volta." Nano concentrated hard on the earth under his palm. He tried to feel the earth and the wind, the water and the fire, the basic forces that governed every action in nature. He tried to hear the whispers of his ancestors, the children of the future and of the fleeting lives bumping against each other in a calamitous chaotic flurry. Most of all he tried to not concentrate at all, but to have whatever he wanted come to him.

From the earth sprouted a sapling and metals started to form disjointedly. After a minute of concentration Nano had created a half grown oak tree and a chunk of metal that weighed in about four pounds.

When Nano backed away from his creations he was winded and sweating.

"Nano! That was amazing." Tora started to run over to him but Nano held up his hand to stop her.

"Don't praise me for a mess of spell and execution. I nearly spent all my energy to make a half grown tree and the metal isn't even sharp or in a acceptable shape."

"Let me try." Tora turned toward the tree and metal. She took off the gloves she had been wearing and placed one on the tree and the other on the metal. She breathed for a moment and took some time to think of the wording.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Asked Nano.

"Just let me concentrate." Tora took a deep breath in, but before she could breathe out Nano spoke again.

"That's the thing, you aren't and are supposed to concentrate."

"What? Look, just be quiet." Tora roller her eyes and began her spells.

"Tree, of oak, grow, stop when grown. Metal, of steel, shape of halberd head, stop when done." When she finished saying her spell the tree continued to grow again, though much faster than Nano's attempt. The metal began to form into the head of a halberd. Though this was not the only strange thing about the whole event. The leaves of the tree turned a golden brown color and the metal gained a blue hue.

"The Chosen of The Mother." Rhet, who was now standing was completely in shock. Not only did she not know True Tongue, but she had performed natural magic. The hardest magic to use for humans.

"Well, maybe she really is a Chosen of The Mother." Nano was pleasantly surprised by the feat.

"There, not so difficult. But is it usually so noisy when you perform this magic? I heard the voices of many, but I didn't know where from."

"That's for another time. But for now, we need to work on combining the two for a halberd for Svetra."

"Right, uh, do you want to do that?"

"Sure, I've done this sort of thing plenty of times before."

"Growing trees?" Asked Svetra

"No, making weapons."