Swept

The ground trembled violently. Bre and Cer stood facing each other, their legs were slightly parted lightly, knees bent.

The ground rippled beneath them like waves at the beach and they rode them like strange land sufferers.

Bre smiled. "When did you improve to this extent? I'm impressed little brother."

Cer smirked and the ground writhed and surged. Both men rose into the sky and stopped so abruptly that Bre momentarily wobbled, almost losing his balance.

Bre roared with laughter, his eyes went black, and Cer grunted as immense pressure threatened to break his knees as he strained to remain standing.

The brothers were fighting only with the abilities they had been born with. They were not using physical techniques or learned abilities.

In thus way the strengthened their cores and improved their abilities overall. It was a technique used by the Azmin since time began.

Both men had one natural ability and two learned abilities each. Cer's natural ability was Terra Firma and Bre's was Gravity.

In the past Bre easily overtook his brother. When they would spar he would lord his inevitable win over his brother. After intense training for one and a half days he was finding it difficult to breathe properly let alone boast about a victory.

Cer smiled. "Brother we have lead the guard together for many years…" The ground moved beneath their feet and then shot up sharply and suddenly. Bre used gravity to maintain his position.

"… And every time we would spar you would be the victor."

Bre used a gravity pulse to push Cre from the raised ground. Land rose between them almost instantly blocking the pulse. Fine lines spread across the wall as rock rose into the air and formed spear tips of varying shapes and sizes. They moved toward Bre at varying speeds.

"I always assumed that gravity was superior to terra firma. I believed I could never win. I only realized yesterday, or this morning, that this is why I always failed."

Bre used gravity to push down or stop the projectiles in mid air, but since his brother created them in varying shapes, weights, and sizes, and sent them at different velocities they were not all stopped.

There was a thick gravity wall before Bre that stopped many more of the spear heads. Just as he felt he was safe and ready to counter he felt imminent danger.

He looked to his left and saw that a thin sliver of grey rock had penetrated his globe of gravity protection and was seconds from striking him. Just before it penetrated his neck it disintegrated into a fine dust mist.

Suddenly he heard his brother's raucous laughter.

Bre pursed his lips. "Okay, okay. Let's go again. Think you can do that twice in a row?"

There were eight fate patterns above her head but Anis was not looking up at them. Purple and yellow light swirled around her. The purple was released from her core while the yellow flowed from her chest.

The purple light pulled threads of from the patterns above and intertwined them within the yellow light.

The strands of light wove together and suddenly streamed forward in an intricate braid. It struck a golden shield held by Struns. As soon as it hit it drove Struns back ten feet. He smiled broadly as a second, broader, strand hit and cracked the shield.

Struns shook his head and allowed the shield to flow back into his armor. It flowed up his arm, over his shoulders, and down his other arm; forming an intricate pattern of knotting lines along his aromor.

"Attack me now Struns." Struns' brows knitted at Anis' request. She smiled. "Do not worry love. I will be okay. I need to practice. I have to be able to defend myself so that I am not a hindrance to you."

When Struns did not move she sighed. "If you do not help me in this I will go to my brothers or use one of the training rooms here in the library."

The entire time she spoke all eight of the patterns remained stable.

Struns looked from the patterns above their heads and into Anis' eyes. He smiled into those beautiful amethyst eyes and moved quickly toward her. A yellow and grey shield rose before he made his first step.

Struns used two blades when he fought close combat but he was also a Yarril and he could use their ancestral ability of spell weaving. As his first blade struck Anis' shield he released one of the any spells he held in his weapons and armor. Fine cracks spread outward from the point of impact.

Unknown to Struns one of the fate patterns above pulsed and several strands extended downwards as pink streams of light flowed from Anis to combine with them.

Just as Struns understood that something was wrong he was struck on both shoulders and streams of information flowed into his mind and soul well. His mind buzzed and his soul well trembled as if it was gaining too much power too quickly. At the same time he felt like he was being torn apart but he could not understand how or why. It was like his very existence was being unraveled on some minute level that he didn't fully understand.

His hands flicked and a soundless spell streamed forward and a fate pattern buried deep within the others trembled and burst. Struns stood stunned for a second and that was all the time Anis needed to send a pink stream of light forward that wove around him and pulled him to the ground.

Anis sat heavily, as she panted. "That took more from me than I thought it would."

The pink strands dissolved in pink sparks of light and Struns sat up. "I have never seen you use knowledge magic like that. I didn't even know it could be used in a fight."

Sweat streamed down Anis' face. "I just realized it was possible last night. But I do not think I am strong enough to use so many of my abilities at once. I have never used more than two types of magic at a time and I just used four."

She leaned back, a container of water materializing in her hand, as she drank she thought for a brief moment. "Mental magic has always been draining for me but add it to knowledge and I thought I was going to pass out."

Struns thought for a moment. "I do have some spells that could help you strengthen your mentality…" He raised his hand to stop her protest. "I know Azmin do not like using spells but I have seen Rachel use sorcery plenty of times."

Anis shrugged. "I know. I know. But Rachel is the only Azmin in history to awaken the green light. We never knew we could even learn sorcery. Besides…" She smiled broadly. "Sorcery is a completely different level."

Struns rolled his eyes, a broad smile on his lips, but he said nothing.

"But I do agree. I do need help. We do not have time to wait for me to naturally advance." She thought for a second. "Do you have a spell that will strengthen my soul well instead? If my soul well is stronger I may be able to use my abilities easier." She thought a moment longer. "It could also help me advance some of my abilities that are too weak." She looked to him. "What do you think?"

"I do have a spell that can help you but it is a temporary solution. I will cast it on you for your practice today and I will work on another one that you can handle for longer periods of time. I do not want you to have any adverse side effects. "

"Okay but how long will it take you to create it and do you think I coule learn to cast it myself?"

Struns shrugged. "Three days." He thought a moment. "It would be better for you to learn green magic from a sibling. Thr Azmin constitution does not handle other types of magic well."

Anis sighed. "Cast the one you have now and I will get started. How are you doing with your training? I think I bested you a bit too easily."

Struns began drawing spell circles in the air around them. He smiled as he worked. "To be honest I grossly underestimated you."

As he spoke circles seamlessly formed around them. "It won't happen again." He winked and began reciting a spell in ancient Yarril.

Emil stood smiling before Mis. "I am going to Azzit this afternoon to meet up with Shain and the others."

Pink and yellow light moved around Mis and collided with the orange and green light around Emil.

Mis sneered. "Why do you keep giving him respect like that?"

Emil shrugged "He is still our eldest brother and both Anis and Rachel are willing to move forward."

"Move forward but not forgive."

The soul magic around Mis surged and moved toward Emil. It found weaknesses and cracks in Emil's barrier. And moved towards him. Emil learned the color of sorcery from Rachel many years ago and he used it now.

The green light moved forward as if to swarm the pink light of knowledge; as it did so the yellow light of the soul magic dimmed until it was a faint whisper and gently passed through Emil.

The green light squeezed the pink like a constricting python. The green light deep as a lush forest and the pink as vivid as hues in a sunset. Green spell circles and runes formed above them and the green coalesced and became emerald and translucent.

Mis fought to enhance his ability and the pink flared with streaks of data appearing within the green embrace.

The vivid strands of pink thickened and the green around them strained. Mis smiled as he felt his victory was assured. His smile fell suddenly and he slowly looked up to see a vast dark vortex in the center of a large green runic spell circle.

Every fiber in his being screamed danger just as the constricted green light burst into faint green sparks and the pink magic and data flow spread out chaotically.

"Dear brother, you need to learn to see the entire fight and how to manipulate more than one ability at a time. Your were born with two abilities and learned a third, but you can only manipulate them one at a time. I know that you are more of a scholar than a fighter but what if someone comes to destroy your precious books. Will you merely rely on Breccor and your library's defenses?"

Mis went pail at the mention of books being destroyed. He was strong because he had to be. Knowledge was a little used ability but it took great physical, mental, and soul strength to wield. He was born with the lights of knowledge and soul and learned the light of the mental ability to fortify himself. He had always assumed it was just to be able to learn all he could and be able to handle whatever knowledge he acquired.

He was fully prepared to rely on his siblings, Breccor, and the libraries for his protection and safety. Now he understood he was a bit naïve in his thinking.

He looked to Emil. His brother was leaving in a matter of hours he needed to get his help. "Again brother. This time use healing and sorcery against me. I need to learn as much as I can before you leave. Then I will use the new room to recreate our battles."

Emil smiled sinisterly as orange and green light began materialized and began swirling around him.

"Be careful what you ask for Mis. I have been wielding healing magic since before I left the womb."