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Part 29

I put all my strength and rage into my attack. My trident is nothing more than a blue flash of light as it slices through the air aimed at Aduro's armored head. But the blow never makes contact.

Moving his axe at speeds that match my own attack Aduro deflects my attack with a resounding clang that echoes around the area. I move with the block and redirect my charge into a spin aiming at his legs this time.

With surprising agility he jumps back avoiding my trident by inches. As he does so he laughs with a cold evil voice saying, "You think you're the only one who has had centuries to train? I have spent every day of the last three thousand years planning, waiting, and training for this day. You won't be able to beat me alone or with your two so called guardians."

In a flash of metal Aduro aims a blow at my chest that I manage to stop with the shaft of my trident. The blade of his dark axe comes to a rest in front of my nose. I glare back at him from within my helmet and respond with a growl, "You may have trained yourself to fight me by yourself. But I have trained as well. Only my training wasn't to fight alone. But as a team."

A pair of flashes, one silver the other gold, sweeps past my sides as Rosalie and Shadow both launch attacks at Aduro. The only way he manages to avoid the attacks is to fall back and roll to the side, splashing mud as he does.

Where Aduro stood Rosalie's trident and Shadows sword clash in mid air sending a shower of sparks falling through the rain. As they lower their weapons and I straighten up and glare at Aduro, "Shadow and Rosalie may not be as experienced as you and I are but they possess the traits that will help them to become great and powerful guardians."

Glancing over my shoulder I speak to the two of them, "I think it's time we show him the new and improved guardians."

Rosalie cracks a smile and says, "He is in for a surprise."

Shadow lets out a laugh as he speaks, "You shouldn't have missed our last few training sessions Aduro, or you would know what you're up against."

With that Rosalie and Shadow hold their weapons out in front of them as twin circles of light form around them. Around Rosalie a blue circle like my own shines as water pours from it to encase her form. As it solidifies her armor is revealed to be a deep sapphire blue with gold tracings running through that mimic the shape of ocean waves traveling around it. On her chest is a gold trident with the shape of a water drop around it. The cape draped from her shoulders is a bright blue with a single gold trident emblazoned on it.

Shadows circle glows a fiery red as flames burst from it and travel up his body. In its wake ruby red armor is left. Gold tracings of flames race across forming intricate patterns. On his chest is a gold sword surrounded by a gold flame. With a flash of fire his bright red cape falls from his shoulder with a gold sword with ruby pommel woven into it.

Aduro takes a step back growling, "If you think some fancy new clothes will give you a chance against me Seeker you must have gotten stupider over the centuries."

I growl at the insult but its Rosalie that speaks up, "It seems to me that you're the one who got stupid."

She steps forward brandishing her trident at Aduro, "You're the one who betrayed the one person on this planet who would have given his life to bring you back after Atlantis was destroyed. I have known him all my life and not a day has gone by when I haven't seen the pain in his eyes at what loosing you and everyone he knew caused. The only time I have not seen that pain has been since you returned."

Shadow steps forward his sword at the ready as he growls picking up where Rosalie stopped, "Since Seeker and I met he has come to mean more to me than anything else in my life. I may not have known him as long as the others have but I have heard him talk in his sleep and heard him suffer through his nightmares. More than once I heard mention your name in them followed soon by cries of pain."

Shadow looks at me from within his helmet and I see tears in his eyes before he looks back at Aduro, "Since you returned his dreams have been far less troubled. But your betrayal now goes far beyond anything you did to him in his dreams and I won't allow you to go unpunished for that."

I place a paw on Shadows shoulder saying, "That's enough love."

Shadow falls silent as I look at Aduro, "I mourned what I thought was your death up till the day I saw you laying in that bed, but not anymore. The brother I mourned is dead and gone. You are nothing but a poor imitation, one that will be stopped at all costs."

With that all three of us launch a renewed attack at Aduro.

Shadows sword flashes through the air aimed at Aduro's neck. With a clang his axe sends the sword off in a wide arc. The opening created by Shadows attack however is taken advantage of by Rosalie who jabs her trident in at Aduro's ribs.

At the last moment he manages to bend out of the way of her trident. His dodge wasn't entirely successful though as her trident hits his cape and becomes tangled in it. Instead of struggling with her tangled weapon however Rosalie uses it to her advantage.

With a hard yank on her trident she pulls Aduro's cape back pulling him off balance. As he struggles against the pull at his back I move in with my own attack using the staff of my trident to knock his feet out from under him.

I approach him with my trident pointed at his chest as my fur begins to stand on end just before a bolt of lightning strikes the forest near us. Using the momentary blindness that the lightning caused Aduro throws mud at my face splattering across my eyes. Blinded by the mud I can't see the blow he aims at my legs knocking them out from under me.

As I fall on my back with a grunt trying to clear my eyes I hear a series of loud clangs and grunts come from above me and feel the ground vibrate as another body lands next to me.

I manage to clear the mud from my eyes so and see Aduro above Shadow his axe raised ready to fall into his chest. Before I can move to try and stop the blow the blade falls towards my mate who manages to raise his right arm up to try and block the axe.

I watch in horror as the blade slices into Shadows armor with the sound of tearing armor followed by a loud crack of bone as his arm is broken. A loud yell of pain erupts from Shadow as his armor vanishes in a burst of flame and steam as his concentration is broken. His blood begins to flow freely as Aduro pulls his axe free of Shadow's arm.

Laughing Aduro looks at me, "It seems that your fire guardian isn't so tough after all." He steps past Shadow ignoring him as though he is beneath his notice now.

Letting out a roar of anger at seeing my mate injured I jump to my feet and swipe my trident upwards through the air sending a wave of water crashing into Aduro. As the wave pushes him back several yards I move to stand between him and Shadow.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Marcus and Luna running from the house towards Shadow. As they are helping him back to the house I hear my mate yell out in pain as his arm is moved. His cry of pain only increases my anger.

Aduro laughs at his pain saying, "When I am through here a broken arm will be the least of his worries. It will only make it easier for me to hunt him down later."

With barely controlled rage at the threat to my mate I respond, "You will not harm him again. If it is the last thing I do I will stop you and make you pay for your crimes."

He laughs as we both charge at each other with renewed attacks. Our weapons crash again and again sending sparks and echoing bangs around us. Lightning and thunder crashes around us increasing in intensity as our fight gets equally intense.

We each launch particularly strong blows that push us both back staggering in the mud. I glare at him through my helmet panting as he works to steady himself on his feet. We are evenly matched at the moment, neither gaining the upper hand. If I don't find a way to end this soon there is no telling how much damage could be caused by this fight.

At that moment a tidal wave of water rises up out of the yard and crashes into Aduro. I look to my left and see Rosalie standing there her arm raised and aimed at him holding the water on him. For a moment I had forgotten she was still in the fight.

I look back at where he was standing and watch as the water moves over the spot. As I watch the water flows away and where he was standing dread fills my stomach as I see a pillar of pure darkness emerge from the water.

After the water has receded completely the pillar dissolves apart and Aduro is left standing there unharmed and glaring at Rosalie. A moment passes before he speaks, "I forgot you were still around." With a slash of his axe a wave of darkness flies through the air and hits Rosalie.

She manages to raise her trident at the last moment and the wave breaks upon it and pushes her back through the mud several yards but she doesn't fall. With a slash of her trident she throws the attack to the side. Glaring through her helmet at Aduro she calls out with a voice laced in anger, "That the best you have? I've gotten worse cuts from my sewing needles."

Lowering her trident to an attack posture she charges at Aduro as tendrils of water rise up around her and shoot at him like spears. With a fluid grace that is enhanced by her connection to water Rosalie launches a series of attacks on Aduro using the water around her as extensions of herself.

I am forced to step back as Rosalie goes all out on him using every bit of the training I have given her to attack. At first she is able to drive Aduro back as it takes all his concentration to dodge or block her attacks but the longer the battle takes the more I see her form begin to falter as she begins to over tax herself. Eventually she makes a mistake.

She over extends one of her attacks and He takes advantage of it aiming his axe at the back of her head. I barely manage to tackle Aduro from the side causing his attack to go wild as we slide in the mud in a tangle of limbs. Behind me I hear the water Rosalie was controlling splash to the ground as she stops controlling it.

Breaking free from Aduro I get back to my feet my trident at the ready as Rosalie steps up beside me panting from her exertion. Sparing a brief glance at her I say, "You shouldn't have pushed yourself that hard."

She grunts responding, "Don't give me that, you know I'm tougher than I look."

Aduro gets back on his feet and looks at us, his stance more wary and defensive as he speaks, "You may have learned a few tricks water guardian but I know that took a lot out of you. Not even water masters could keep up an attack like that for very long without feeling drained."

With another swipe of his axe he sends another wave of darkness towards us. I manage to raise a wall of water in front of us that blocks most of the attack but some still manages to break through sending us both backwards.

Aduro is on us in an instant. He targets Rosalie first sending a hard kick straight to her ribs. She fails to block it and with a metallic thud her chest plate buckles under the force and she lets out a scream as I hear at least three ribs crack. Falling to the ground she gasps for breath as her armor and trident dissolve in a splash of water as she fights to remain conscious.

He turns to me and laughs, "Now both of your guardians are out for the count. So much for your valued training brother, neither of them could stand up to me for long so what makes you think you will fare better?"

Rage threatens to cloud my mind as I stare at him. He has managed to hurt Shadow and Rosalie so bad they can no longer fight. Our skills with our weapons are to evenly matched and that's only with the boost of energy I am getting from the storm. Then it hits me.

I have been confining my attacks to just water and trident even though over the centuries I have learned how to channel other elements as well. All I need is to wait for the right moment and hope that it doesn't back fire and fry me as well.

As I form the plan in my mind and focus on what I need to do. While I am waiting and watching Aduro begins to approach me slowly swinging his axe in a lazy circle. The hair on my neck begins to stand on end and I know that my idea will need to be put in motion soon.

He takes his time coming towards me as he says, "For three thousand years I have been forced to live in the shadows and wait for the day I could come out and destroy you. Now that day has come. Hope you enjoy the afterlife brother, make sure and give father my regards."

He raises his axe up with both hands and prepares to strike at my head. In the instant before he begins the forward swing I feel the electricity of a coming lightning strike building around me as I thrust my trident up in the air.

The bolt of energy my trident and stays connected to it as I focus my will on channeling and guiding the lightning. His axe gets closer as I lower my trident guiding the strike through the air till the center point is aimed directly at his chest.

Our eyes lock gazes and in his I see the fear in his eyes as comprehension of what I am about to do enters his mind. At that moment we both know that there is nothing he can do to block or avoid my attack. When his axe is just a few inches from my neck I release the flow of energy I have been guiding and the lightning bolt jumps from my trident straight to his chest. Aduro is blasted back off his feet and thrown across the yard where he slams into a tree as the electricity shoots through his body.

I hold the flow of energy as long as can before I feel it starting feed back into my body. As the smell of burning fur begins to fill my helmet I release my trident as I fall to my knees letting the lightning stop. Panting I fall forward on my paws as my armor and trident dissolve into water around me.

I look up to see where Aduro is. He is slumped against the base of the tree not moving. His chest plate on his armor is scorched and partially melted. I breathe out a sigh of relief that it's over. Then he groans and moves.

My jaw drops. That much energy to the chest should have killed him instantly, immortal or not. How can he still be alive?

I watch as he slowly gets up on his feet grunting. He leans against the tree for support as he shakes his head before standing fully under his own power. He places a paw his chest and rubs off some of the soot on the burned metal and looks at it on his fingers.

In a pained voice he says, "You are more powerful than I realized. That's the first time I have ever been injured since Atlantis fell."

He looks at me and I watch in horror as his armor heals before my eyes. The soot washes away in the rain as the melted metal reforms itself and returns to a pristine state. He stoops over and picks up his fallen axe and begins to approach me again slowly spinning it.

As he approaches he says in a dark, venomous voice filled with hatred, "You were always the favored one. The one that dad and the other masters always doted on. The star pupil, even though you were a water guardian and I was fire I was always being compared to you. Your brother did this, your brother did that. For years I had to put up with that. Then Hannah introduced me to her master and I was given the power to surpass you. I did what you would never be able to do. I was able to defeat the greatest guardians in history without breaking a sweat. I brought Atlantis to its knees then I destroyed it and cast its remains beneath the waves. You can't stop me. Your new guardians are a poor imitation of the ones I slaughtered by the hundreds. Now you will join them. Time to die all alone dear brother."

He is just a few feet in front of me his axe dripping water as he raises it above him. I can only watch as the axe begins to fall.

Before the blade makes contact there is a loud clang and a shower of sparks rains over my head. A war hammer and a sword have both stopped the downward motion of the axe. I look to my left and see Rick on one knee holding his hammer and shaking from the strain of holding back the attack. Turning my head to the left I find Jasper in a mirrored stance holding one of his swords trying to stop Aduro's attack.

With a grunt Jasper says, "Seeker will never be alone as long as we draw breath. He is our friend and Alpha."

Rick speaks up next, "He would never abandon us no matter how hopeless a situation might be, and we will never abandon him. He took us in when no one else would. My brother and I owe him our lives."

A surge of pride swells in my heart at their words and actions. Digging deep within myself I draw on every last ounce of strength I have. I look up at Aduro and say, "My strength never came from any hidden skills or special power. It comes from my desire to protect those I care about most. I once considered you one of those people Aduro. But not anymore."

As quick as I can I stretch out both arms and grab Rick and Jaspers wrists, "Now it's time I share some of that power."

Focusing all my remaining energy and concentration my trident tattoo begins to glow with a blue light that quickly spreads to my whole body. When the light reaches Ricks arm it spreads to him as it turns to a deep green. As it reaches Jasper it turns to a brilliant white.

I watch Aduro's eyes widen with shock and rage inside his helmet as he realizes what is happening. With panic lacing his voice he snarls, "NO, I won't allow the creation of more guardians!"

As I am focusing all my energy into turning Rick and Jasper into the next two guardians Aduro begins to glow with a dark aura that spreads from his body towards the others in two tendrils. In horror I watch as one of the tendrils wraps around each of their other wrists and begins to spread darkness on Rick and Jasper.

At the same instant they both yell out in pain. Aduro laughs as his darkness spreads across them and touches the light I am generating. Where it meets a battle of wills begins to take place. Aduro and I are fighting for control over Rick and Jasper. This is one fight I can't afford to lose.

Grunting I speak to the brothers, "Hold on you two, this will hurt but I know you can fight it."

As one Rick and Jasper nod through the pain and glare at Aduro as Rick says, "We trust you Seeker."

I dig deeper into my strength of will than ever before and push even more energy into Rick and Jasper. At first it seems that all I am able to do is fight a stalemate with Aduro's darkness but very slowly the darkness begins to be driven back.

Gradually the green and white lights spread over more and more of Rick and Jasper pushing the darkness back from them. But the spreading light I am generating slows and stops as my reserve of energy begins to wane.

Soon I am panting and using all my strength just to keep Aduro's darkness from spreading again. The darkness jerks forward slightly as Rick and Jasper both yell out in renewed pain but manage to hold their positions keeping the axe from hitting me.

Their yells stir something deep inside me and in the back of my mind I hear my father's voice, "Jasper is a guardian I would have been honored to have taught."

A moment later master Terra's voice echoes after my fathers, "Rick has all the qualities I looked for in my trainee's as well."

After their voices stop echoing in my mind I feel a rush of energy break loose from somewhere deep inside me that I never knew existed. With a yell of triumph I push my power into Rick and Jasper with all my might and the light spreading from me pushes the darkness back all the way to the point where the tendrils are touching them and send it back to Aduro with such force that it sends him back several feet.

With the light fully encasing them Rick and Jasper begin the final steps of becoming guardians. As a great hammer forms on Ricks wrist a white bow with notched arrow forms on Jaspers. After their tattoos form the physical changes take place.

Both brothers begin to grow and put on more muscle till they have both grown over two feet. Jasper has remained lean and agile while Rick has become more solid and even more intimidating in size.

Instead of diminishing after finishing changing the two of them into guardians the light surrounding them intensifies as a circle of light forms on the ground around each of them. In an instant I realize that the extra power I uncovered not only turned Rick and Jasper into guardians but is also bringing out their armor and weapons as well.

Around Rick the circle of green light begins to pour forth a fine sand that moves up his legs enclosing him in the fluid earth. Once he is fully covered it solidifies and turns into a deep emerald green with gold tracings that mimic the shapes of mountains. On his chest is emblazoned a gold hammer standing in front of large rock. He stands up straight and proud as his cape drops from his shoulder the color of the greenest grass with a gold hammer on it.

His war hammer also begins to change going from scarred and dented weapon he has had for years into a new one. The handle turns silver with a fine gold thread wrapped around where he grips it while the head turns from the old steel color to a bright silver with a single emerald spear on the top.

While Ricks armor is forming Jaspers is forming around him. From the circle of white light around his feet a whirlwind begins to form moving tighter around him as the air itself begins to solidify. His white armor is traced with thin gold lines that imitate cloud patterns. On his breastplate is a gold bow with a notched arrow set against a cloud formation. His cape blows in the wind a brilliant white with gold bow and arrow on it.

Jasper's sword begins to twist and bend in on itself forming into a golden curved long bow with intricate silver tracings on it and the finest silver drawstrings. When he pulls back on the string experimentally a white arrow solidifies from the air perfectly notched. He aims the arrow at Aduro who is standing with his axe raised a look of terror in his eyes. His helmet has been partially blown away by the force of energy released in turning Rick and Jasper into guardians.

The light surrounding the three of us fades away and I collapse on my side panting from the sudden loss of so much energy. With a great effort I manage to lift my head up enough to see Rick and Jasper both standing over me fully armored and at the ready for an attack.

Slowly I manage to push myself a bit shakily back to my feet and with effort manage to summon my trident for support. Leaning on my trident I look from between Rick and Jasper as Aduro glares at me. With his free hand he rips off the rest of his helmet and throws it to the ground. With a growl he says, "This can't be, there is no way you had the energy left to make a guardian, let alone two at once."

Rick just bounces his hammer in his hands saying, "Well it looks like he just did."

He raises his hammer up above his head and brings it down hard on the ground in front of him causing the whole clearing to shake as spikes of rock shoot out of the ground in a line from his hammer heading toward Aduro who barely manages to dodge them by diving to the side.

Jasper pulls back on his bow and lets an arrow fly. It soars past Aduro's right ear embedding itself in the tree behind him. I watch as a thin trickle of blood begins to flow from where the arrowhead grazed his ear. Jasper lowers his bow and says, "Guess this bow is even better than I thought it would be. I was compensating for the wind and missed."

Aduro's eyes go even wider at Jaspers words and in a desperate move slices his axe through the air twice sending two waves of darkness at the three of us. Rick, acting on instinct alone, jams the handle of his hammer in the ground in front of him causing a wall of rock to rise up in the path of the darkness which breaks against it leaving us unharmed.

He pulls his hammer out of the mud and the wall of rock sinks back into the earth. As soon as the way is clear Jasper lets loose another arrow, this time he doesn't miss. With a thud that is instantly followed by a yell of pain a white arrow impales itself into his left shoulder rendering that arm useless to him as he falls to his knees.

As he slowly gets back to his feet Aduro glares at me saying, "You may think you have won today seeker. But my master is still out there and he won't rest until you are dead."

With that he throws his axe at us with all the strength he can muster. As it flies through the air at a wild angle it multiplies into half a dozen copies. Rick and Jasper manage to block most but one gets past them aimed straight at me. I try to move out of the way but in my weakened state I don't manage to dodge it entirely.

Blinding pain shoots up my right leg as the blade bites into my thigh cutting through the muscle like warm butter till it hits the bone with a sickening crack. With a yell I fall to the ground as blood begins pouring from the wound as my trident falls from my hands and for the second time tonight dissolves into water.

Through the stars popping in my vision I see Aduro turn and run into forest vanishing amongst the shadows of the trees. I hear Rick say with contempt, "Good riddance traitor."

Jasper is by my side in an instant pulling the axe from my leg. As soon as it is free from my body it vanishes in curling smoke. The pair of them pull me to a standing position as their armor and weapons vanish around them. Unable to put any weight on my leg at all I am forced to hop on my left leg while they put my arms around their necks and begin to guide me back to the house.

Along the way I feel my consciousness begin to slip from me as blood loss begins to exact its toll on my body along with the fatigue from the fight. I can barely make out shapes of figures running towards us as I feel my head fall forward on my shoulders as darkness takes me.