brother's retry (the beginning after the end)

dire tombs III

ASHTON LEYWIN POV:

Dammit, I can't hold this for long. It'll break before they get out of the way. Glancing back I resolved myself to stand here as long as it took for them to get out of the way.

As they moved further and further away the petals faded till just the center of the flower was left. [Flame wisp] flames sprung up around the lance as it burned through leaving a much more manageable amount. Tensing my legs I released Rho Aias and leapt to the right. Sadly not fast enough to avoid a stray vine cutting into the lower left side on my face and down to my left shoulder.

"DAMMIT THAT HURT!" I yelled as I set a thin layer of ice over my wound to numb the pain. "That's gonna leave a scar."

"Dad, Im coming that way, I'll be there soon." Jens ever elegant voice filled my head as I stood up.

"I think Arthur and I got this. Build your strength up. I know whatever you've been working on took a lot of your strength." I thought as I got ready to fight against the elderwood guardian.

"Phase Two, Dragons Awakening." I barely managed to hear.

What? Why? If he really thinks that it's that important might as well lighten his load.

"Phase Two, Dire Trigger" I shouted. I felt more circuits expand from my core as they formed intricate patterns. I watched as my hair grew longer and darkened to a midnight black. A weird sensation flickered in my left eye as I knew it changed the color to silver.

Looking over to my brother I saw he now had golden runes along his arms and back that shined brightly through the remaining clothes he had.his hair had grown longer just as mine had but his was a bright white. His now purple eyes seemed to glow.

Jasmine and, what's his name, uhh, i know i've seen him before. Elijah! Right? Anyway they were the only ones left. Elijah was beside Jasmine now, who was still out of breath and sweating in pain, supporting her with his shoulders. Elijah was staring at me with a dazed expression as his glasses drooped down his broken nose.

Another thunderous crash jolted my attention back to the task at hand.

The tsunami of vines that made up the elderwood guardian expanded as a face formed within the wave. The face bore down at us balefully, ignoring everyone else but me and Arthur. The mana beast that once looked at us like we were insects now displayed a trace of fear.

"Lets play," Arthur growled, revealing a smirk.

Couldn't have agreed more. I snarled before shadow stepped onto the boss's shoulder. Rearing my left hand back I willed fire into a claw like shape. As I swung down I increased the length of my claws to sever its right arm and a large part of its midsection.

Looking over I saw Arthur wrapped in black lightning as he easily dodged the onslaught of thorn-covered vines as thick as my body. He drew near to the core of the elderwood guardian.

An urge to shadow step next to jasmine. Trusting the weird feeling I appeared next to Jasmine before grabbing her and Elijah and throwing them behind me. Summoning blue fire in my right hand I thrust it forward just as vines shot up from the ground.

Honestly, I think Im almost at the peak of fire magic, Lightning needs a little work. I can use blue fire without issue as long as I'm not focusing on too many things at once.

As I let the fire die out another face appeared although much smaller. Stepping back I saw the vines twist and coil into a body just like the other, just slightly smaller.

Blue fire isnt gonna be enough for that. I said with slight annoyance.

Raising my right hand I Muttered "Come on, just enough to stall it, please." a large orb of water formed above my head. Dropping my hand forward the ball of water shot toward the elderwood guardian, as it struck it the orb burst sending water everywhere. The tiny drops of water started to freeze over, causing the smaller elder wood to have trouble moving.