Three days had passed since Elliot fought the two agents. Elliot sat atop a roof, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He sat there in a meditation position, taking deep, slow breaths.
"Now Elliot focus on distinguishing between the two energies in your body." Lilith spoke as a voice in Elliot's head. The young man focused and began to visualize two balls of energy, one of the balls was white and the other had a dark red glow. The red ball was almost four times the size of the white one. The energy of the red ball seemed more controlled, more orderly as the white ball struggled to keep shape.
"Elliot, you're doing well but your own energy is uncontrolled, unstable. I want you to focus on stabilizing it." Lilith instructed the boy. Elliot took another breath as he began to focus harder, beginning to sweat. The white ball in his mind began to calm but right before it fully stabilized, the energy of the white ball just spiked and the ball began losing form, shifting into various shapes. Elliot began bleeding from his nose and his breathing grew unsteady due to this.
"Elliot calm down. You cannot afford to panic right now." Lilith said in a strong firm voice. Elliot took another breath and calmed himself before focusing harder.
"Imagine an outer case, restricting the energy keeping it in that ball form." Lilith instructed. As Lilith said these words the ball in Elliot's mind began to calm, it regained its spherical shape. It became as calm as the ball of red energy.
"Now I want you to try and channel some of the red energy into your white energy, without contaminating the white energy. So you will have to try and purify demon energy." Lilith said.
Following Lilith's instruction, Elliot began mixing the energies. The energy of the red ball began to creep towards the white ball. The red energy began to swirl around the white energy, the white ball began to lose its white color and started to become a mixture of red and white. Elliot's body as a result began to grow small horns and his muscles bulged.
"Elliot, purify the energy." Lilith instructed. Elliot began to focus harder, the white ball began gaining back its white color, right before it seemed Elliot had succeeded, the white ball seemed to reject the red energy causing a reaction from the two types of energies. The two energies repelled, this caused Elliot to fall on his back and his eyes rolled back as his body began to twist and turn from the pain caused by the repelling energies. The boy tried to scream but all he could do was let out simple grunts.
"Shit. Let me stabilize things." Lilith said as she began to calm the two energies by realigning the two separately with Elliot's body. As things began to calm down Elliot just laid there looking at the sky.
"I was closer this time." he said as he smiled.
"Closer to ripping your body apart." Lilith commented sarcastically.
"I will be able to purify magic in no time promise." Elliot said as he sat up.
"Again." the boy said excitedly as he got back in that position.
"That's enough for today. Remember your body hasn't stabilized a hundred percent after that fight. You cannot be overexerting yourself yet." Lilith said. Elliot got up and stretched.
"Might as well run some errands then." the young man said as he made his way down, he was far more careful than before as he did not have his magic enhancing his body at the moment. He walked around as he wandered towards the marketplace. As he walked around the marketplace a familiar voice called out.
"Elliot! Over here boy." Elliot turned to see Mr. Forrest calling out to him.
"Mr. Forrest." Elliot said as he walked over to the man.
"Did you get rid of that thing boy?" Mr. Forrest asked the young man.
"It is back with its original owners." Elliot replied casually.
"They came to get it! They found you! How are you alive?!" Mr. Forrest seemed to panic but Elliot remained calm.
"I simply returned it to them and they let me off with a slight beating, nothing major." Elliot replied, his tone still casual.
"That's good. I heard they are a merciless group and very danger..." Mr. Forrest was cut off by the cries of a woman being slapped to the ground by a Royal Paladin.
She cried out as the man began to kick her on the floor, his iron boots crashing against her body.
"You dare hide your tax from the righteous government. You want to freeload of others, you witch!" the Paladin cursed as he continued to kick the woman. Elliot just stood there expressionless as he watched the woman being beaten down.
"Mr. Forrest, we'll continue this conversation later. This scene just became distasteful." Elliot said as he turned away and began walking.
"HOW DARE YOU BEAT THE INNOCENT!!" a voice shouted at the man. A familiar voice that caused Elliot to turn in a hurry. Elliot stood still as he saw Jeremiah push the Paladin off the woman.
"You dare obstruct justice boy." the Paladin said to Jeremiah, threatening the boy.
"I would be committing sin against my pledge to my lord if I let this continue." Jeremiah answered as he raised his left arm that was in a cast. He the straightened his arm, breaking the cast. Elliot stood staring at Jeremiah, contemplating whether to help or not.
"Boy, stand aside or I will be forced to arrest you." the Paladin said firmly.
"Stand down or I will be forced to knock you out cold." Jeremiah replied.
"Threatening an officer is punishable by losing your tongue." the man said as he drew his sword.
"Come get it you bastard." Jeremiah said as both his fists ignited with flames.
Just as the two stared each other down, a voice broke the tension.
"Jeremiah. What is happening here?" Father Cranel said as he pushed through the crowd that had formed around the two.
"Father, this scoundrel is using the Vatican's good name to abuse the innocent. I was simply bringing him to heel." Jeremiah answered as he deactivated his fire fist.
"Priest. You know very well, the church and government are one entity, you cannot disrupt the good work of us officers." the Paladin said trying to reason with Cranel.
"I know that very well Paladin but it is also our duty, mine and yours. To protect the innocent, now why would you beat a defenseless woman?" Father Cranel said with a gentle smile on his face, the smile he was well known for in the town.
"She was hiding her tax for months! She is a criminal!" the Paladin stated furiously.
"You should've just arrested her then, for a man of your strength I doubt it would take much effort." Father Cranel said as he stared at the man with his piercing eyes. The Paladin began to feel a sense of fear wash over him as his body told him to run.
"Then step aside so I may arrest her." the man said. Father Cranel in response approached the man and put his hand on the man's shoulder.
"I am afraid we cannot allow that anymore. You have already punished her, today you're done. Leave soldier." Father Cranel said softly as he smiled.
The Paladin turned and left as his men followed suit, Father Cranel turned and helped the woman up.
"Are you okay ma'am?" he asked her gently. She nodded as she was helped up to her feet. Just as the situation was dissolved and the crowd dispersed Elliot approached Jeremiah.
"Jeremiah." Elliot said as he stood around two meters away from the young man. Jeremiah stared at Elliot as he smiled.
"Brother, long time no see." Jeremiah said as he walked over and embraced his brother.
"About three months to be exact." Elliot said as the two broke off the hug.
"How are you brother?" Jeremiah said.
"I am trying, seems your training is going well, your fire fist is something else." Elliot said as he smiled, proud of his brother.
"Yeah, Father Cranel is really putting in the work in training me." Jeremiah exclaimed.
"Do you still reject my training Elliot. You could be a Paladin boy." Father Cranel said as he entered the conversation.
"I could never Father. I congratulate you on Jeremiah's growth though. He is exceptional." Elliot said as he turned to walk away.
"Brother." Jeremiah said as he stopped Elliot. Elliot turned to face Jeremiah.
"Let's catch up. Just you and me, for a bit." Jeremiah suggested.
"If your not too busy." Elliot said as he looked at Father Cranel. Cranel just smiled and shook his head as he turned.
"Jeremiah be back before sunset." Father Cranel said as he walked away.
Some time later, the two boys sat in the middle of a field just outside of two. The field was vast and the grass, green and vibrant. The air was fresh and the insects and critter flew and scurried about. The two boys sat side by side as they both enjoyed a sandwich each. Jeremiah was the first one to break the silence.
"Jane said she is worried about us, Elliot." Jeremiah said as he looked down.
"Worried? Why?" Elliot replied as he continued to eat.
"She said we have lost each other since Zarnia left." Jeremiah said.
"Jeremiah, you have grown so powerful in no time. I truly believe you've left me behind. I am proud of you but brother if we continue to let our bond together tether us to our old selves, we will never grow." Elliot said as he gave his brother a pat on the back.
"I beat up a knight's son. That's how I broke my arm." Jeremiah said to lighten up the mood.
"Fucking rebel. How did Cranel react?" Elliot asked.
"He called me ruthless and said he was impressed." Jeremiah said as he looked at Elliot.
"He also told me that we were going to be the ones who answer when the true monsters and demons of this world start knocking. Eliminating such evil would be our goal, God's work." Jeremiah said with conviction.
"Monsters and demons huh." Elliot said as he noticed the conviction in Jeremiah's eyes. This made Elliot uneasy.
"Jeremiah let's make our way back, it is getting late." Elliot said as he got up.
"Your right brother." Jeremiah answered as he got up.
The two boys got and walked together towards the town. In the depths of the Cathedral, in an underground room only illuminated by a simple torch, Cranel trained. He was utilizing shadow boxing, every punch he threw caused small gusts of air, every kick unleashed a thundering noise as a by product. His body was clearly defined, as if every muscle was the result of the work of a great sculptor that worked for decades. Cranel then stood there and took unsteady breaths.
'That boy has somehow restricted the magic waste his body did naturally. This has drastically increased his presence, granted Jeremiah still has bigger reserves but Elliot has better control with no training. Zarnia, how could you spot two talents where everyone saw failures. I hope Elliot does not fall in the wrong hands, because those two are truly exceptional.'