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Part 28

When Rosalie, Shadow, and I enter the entrance way heading to the door we run into Wolfie and his pack along with the rest of my pack as well as Aduro and Harandoom. They are all standing around or coming down stairs with looks of shock and fear on their faces. It's obvious that the voice was heard throughout the house and possibly beyond.

My eyes meet Harandoom's eye and from the look of fear in his eye I know what it is that has called me out to fight. The evil that had possessed him has returned.

Without waiting for everyone to finish gathering I hold out my right paw and summon my trident before speaking, "I take it that I don't need to ask that you all know who that is outside."

There is a brief murmur that passes through the crowd before silence spreads again. I nod and look to the door. On the other side I know that a creature that has tried to kill me twice before is once again here to kill me.

Looking back at the crowed I begin, "I will be going out there to face him. I want everyone in here to please stay back, this will be getting ugly."

I step to the door only to find Shadow, Rick, Jasper, Rosalie, and Aduro standing in my path all looking at me with stony looks on their faces. Knowing the fallout that is about to come I brace myself for Rosalie's coming rant.

To my surprise however it is Jasper that speaks up first, "There is no way we will let you face that thing alone. Ever since Rick and I first met you, you have told us over and over again how the guardians were protectors first and foremost above all else. Now you can't expect Rick and I to stand aside and not try and protect our home, even if we aren't guardians yet, can you?"

I swallow before trying to speak only Rosalie beats me to it, "For centuries you have stood between us and the evils that would destroy us. Now for the first time since you were left alone all those years ago you have friends and family who want and are able to stand beside you in that fight. I sure as hell will not be left behind this time, not when I can help you the way you have helped us I don't know how many times."

A stirring of pride begins to replace the irritation I am feeling at them when Aduro gives his voice to the gathering, "Brother, I may not have been alone as long as you have been, but you can't forget that I was there when that thing destroyed our home. I am not about to let you go out there without me. I owe it a beating if nothing else."

I raise an eyebrow and look at Shadow who shrugs and says, "I've already took a sword to the chest for you once. You really think I would let you go alone?"

With a sigh I shake my head before speaking, "Should have known better than to try and face this thing alone. Ok, I won't go out there alone. But Rosalie and Aduro, I want you two to stay back at first. As far as that thing knows there are only two guardians in the world right now, Shadow and myself. So let's try and keep it that way for as long as we can so that we can take it by surprise."

With several nods the group steps to the sides of the door. As they do Aduro, Shadow, and Rosalie all summon their guardian weapons and prepare for battle. I step to the door and put my hand on the handle to open. Before I do though I speak in a growling whisper that only those closest can hear, "Our next training day is going to be extra tough for this you know."

A small chuckle comes from Shadow as I open the door and step out into the rain that is coming down harder than ever.

............

Stepping out in storm my clothes and fur are soon soaked as water begins dripping from my ears and nose as I walk into the yard. Being surrounded by the water leaves me feeling invigorated and stronger than normal, hopefully it will give me the edge I need in this fight.

Moving out into the yard I hold my trident at the ready and keep an eye out for any threat that might come out of the storm. I slowly look around me watching and waiting when the voice echoes again, "So the little wolf has come out to play."

The voice seems to come from all around me at once with no source I can find. Spinning around in a circle I yell out to storm, "Show yourself! You called me out to fight then hide in the rain like a coward! What kind of fight is that?"

A loud earthshaking laugh rumbles around the area before the voice calls out again, "Very well guardian, you want to see me then you shall."

All sound seems to fade from the world as a shadow darkens and begins to move at the edge of the yard near the forest. The darkness moves forward across the ground in serpentine manner moving closer and closer to where I am standing. Nothing in its path seems to impede its movement as it moves over or around anything in its way.

Eventually it reaches a point about ten feet from me where it begins to pool into a circle of pure black. For a moment the darkness just sits there on the ground not moving before a figure begins to rise up out of it. A vaguely humanoid shape is formed by the darkness but its edges ripple and move as though made out of black flames and smoke. In the center of the figures head where a person's face would be a pair of red eyes without pupils appear. I am instantly reminded of a nightmare from several months ago where those same eyes appeared from the dead forms of my friends and pack.

I shake the image of Shadows body slowly strangling me from my mind and focus on the here and now. Once my mind is clear I focus on the shadow figure before me before speaking, "So you're the one who destroyed my home all those centuries ago."

An evil laugh pours from the figure though it doesn't seem to move at all. Once it stops laughing it speaks in a deep oily voice, "Yes I am responsible for destroying Atlantis and many other places of great power throughout history. But your people were the first to have the potential to destroy me and nearly managed to in fact."

I look at it with a raised eyebrow. Maybe if I can keep it talking I can learn more about how my father and the other guardians failed to stop this thing so I can learn from their failure and be victorious. I think for a moment before asking, "If they were such a threat to you why did you wait for over three thousand years to try and finish the job?"

A snort of disgust comes from the figure, "I didn't choose to wait I had no choice. Your people nearly destroyed me. It has taken me this long to regain my strength and to track you down. You made that rather difficult. Always moving around, never making yourself publicly known. But your path through history can been seen if one knows where to look."

I raise my head slightly looking down my nose at the figure and responding in a slightly impressed tone despite myself, "And just what path would that be?"

A small chuckle comes from the figure before it says, "Small villages miraculously surviving a horrible tidal wave, lost travelers in the desert being saved by a werewolf able to summon water, a powerful weapons master who trains future generals and leaders. Need I go on?"

I tighten my jaw and glare hard into those red eyes as I reply, "So you managed to track me down after all these years. Why come after me? I am the last guardian of Atlantis in the world. I am no threat to you am I?"

The figure stares at me for a moment before saying, "An interesting choice of words Seeker. You are the last guardian of Atlantis." He puts a strong emphasis on the word Atlantis. "But we both know that you are not the last guardian anymore. Why don't you have your mate come out and play with us? Or are you afraid you will have to watch him die again?"

From behind me Shadows voice calls from out of the rain, "He is not afraid and neither am." He steps up beside me and summons his sword in a burst of flames.

I notice that the flames Shadow used to summon his sword seemed a bit dimmer than normal. The rain is affecting his powers in a negative way. My powers as a water guardian maybe enhanced by the rain but his are being weakened. Even more so considering how new he is still to his powers.

A menacing laugh echoes from the figure as he says, "So the little fire guardian has come out to fight. Too bad it's so wet out here. Ever think that all this water might put out your little sparks?"

Shadow growls deep in his chest beside me but I put a paw on his shoulder to keep him from doing anything reckless. Another laugh before the figure speaks, "Smart of you to hold him back, I don't really want to kill him right away. Would much rather he watches while I kill you first. After all, being so weak right now he is no match for me even with your help."

I look from Shadow who is snarling at the figure towards the shadow form and with a smirk say, "You may have chosen a day when a fire guardian is at his weakest. But you also chose a day when the water guardians are at their strongest."

For a moment there is silence between us as the figure blinks its red eyes once before speaking in a slow calculating voice, "You said... water guardians... the years must be getting to you. There is only one water guardian."

It's my time to laugh before speaking, "One might think that if it were true." Calling over my shoulder I yell out, "NOW ROSALIE!"

For a second nothing seems to happen then the rain around us slows then stops in midair. Each drop hanging in space as though frozen in time before they slowly begin to swirl around us at ever increasing speeds before all the water moves towards the figure with a force of a tidal wave forming a pillar of water around it.

I watch the figure move around in the water in slow restricted movement, its red eyes wide with surprise as it struggles against the water. Beside me I hear footsteps as Rosalie walks up on my other side her trident already formed and at the ready.

Sweat begins to bead up on her forehead as she focuses all her power on holding the pillar of water around the shadow figure. At that moment my eyes meet its red eyes and through the distortions of the water I see something that makes my heart skip a beat.

I manage to raise my trident and form a wall of water between the three of us and the figure just before the pillar of water around it explodes outward in razor sharp shards of ice. The wall I created falls away with a splash after having stopped the worst of the ice from getting through.

After glancing at Shadow and Rosalie to make sure they are unharmed I look at the figure and see it standing there with its arms crossed over its chest looking at me with a smug look to its eyes. For a moment we just stare at each other before I voice the question, "How?"

With a small laugh it says, "I have been preparing for three millennia to fight a water guardian. Did you really think that just because you managed to create another one that it would give you an advantage over me? If anything it will just increase your suffering."

I let out a low growl when another set of steps approach us from Shadows other side as Aduro's voice, "Maybe you should start getting worried." He holds out his hand and with a flash of red flames summons his own sword and stands beside us.

Four guardians standing against the same force of darkness that destroyed Atlantis all those centuries ago. For the first time since learning about this evil I feel hope growing. With a grin I look at the figure only to have my grin falter when I take in what I am seeing.

Instead of a look of shock or concern in its red eyes there is a look of triumph. With a sinking feeling in my stomach the figure speaks, "Ah Aduro glad to see you have integrated well. Have you done what I asked?"

With dread I look at my brother and watch in horror as he lowers his sword and moves to stand before the shadow and kneels down on one knee as he says, "Yes my lord. I have gathered the information you wanted. My brother is the last guardian that the prophesy our father made talks about. He has the power to bring forth more guardians and is more than capable of training them. He also has the memories of the last four masters within him guiding him when needs their advice."

Aduro glances over his shoulder at me and smirks, "He is also planning on creating an air and earth guardian in the near future so your attack my lord was well timed."

I stare in disbelief at my brother betrayal of me. Never would I have believed it possible of him to do such a thing. To my right Shadow lets out a rumbling growl of anger as Rosalie glares at Aduro as she speaks, "How could you betray your brother and us like this? We all welcomed you into our home and this is how you thank us?"

Aduro rises to his feet and stands between the figure and us as he says, "You think it was chance that I just appeared that day in the forest? Hardly, after my master was forced to flee Harandoom when he proved too weak to defeat my brother my master was forced to find another way to achieve victory. So he turned to his most loyal servant. I proved my loyalty when I led his forces through Atlantis and to victory."

Rage replaces the shock at Aduro's words. I glare at him as I ask, "You led the attack on our home, why? Why destroy all we had? Why kill our father? What about Hannah? Did you kill them yourself?"

He just laughs a sick twisted laugh before replying, "Our father died trying to keep your location hidden from me but ultimately he failed didn't he. As for Hannah, she is alive and well and waiting for my return. She is the one who introduced me to the master after all."

His smile vanishes and is replaced by a scowl of such hatred that I can no longer recognize my brother, "All that is keeping us from living forever together controlling this world and serving our masters will is you my dear brother. Your death will mark the end of the threat to my master's power and ultimate return."

With that Aduro holds up his sword and the figure behind him raises a hand and a tendril of shadow stretches from it towards the tip of the sword. When the tendril touches the sword it begins to change. The blade turns from its shining razor straight silver to a serrated blade of an axe darker than a moonless night. When it reaches the hilt the gold turns into the axes handle colored a deep crimson similar to blood as the intricate carvings change from Atlantian designs to depictions of evil and torture.

When the wave of evil engulfing his sword reaches his hand it begins to encase him in a black armor traced with blood red carvings. As it pass his tattoo on his wrist it changes from a red sword to a black axe with a serrated blade. I watch with growing anger as the armor grows and fully encases Aduro's body. From his shoulders a midnight black cape falls behind him with a crimson axe on it.

With his armor complete the figure behind Aduro speaks, "You now have my armor Aduro. Use it well in defeating your brother." With that the figure sinks back down into a pool of darkness and shoots back into the forest without another word.

Aduro looks at me through the eye slits in his helmet and I can hear his voice coming through it saying, "Now brother you will die at my hands like you should have done three thousand years ago."

He raises his axe with both hands to attack but is stopped by a blast of fire and a wave of water crashing into his chest throwing him back several feet. Both Shadow and Rosalie are standing next to me with stony expressions with their arms raised directing the attack of their respective elements.

When their attacks stop I take a step forward and speak to my brother, "You betrayed our friends, our family, and me. I cannot ever forgive you for what you did and now you will pay."

With my anger rising I hold my trident out in front of me as a circle of blue light appears around my before water flows from the ring of light and begins encasing me in my own armor. Once my blue and gold armor has formed and my four colored cape has dropped from my shoulders I lower my trident and point the center prong at Aduro's chest.

He takes a step back holding his axe at the ready asking in shock, "How do you have armor? No guardian has ever had that power before."

I smirk under my helmet and say, "This was a gift to me and all future guardians from Master Nerine. It was her hope that it would give us the power to defeat the evil you now serve."

He glares at me from within his helmet saying, "Nerine was a fool to waste time and energy on you. I was glad to have killed her personally."

I didn't think it was possible but even more rage and hate surged through me at his words. But instead of letting my emotions overwhelm me I focus them and use them to bolster my power. I ready myself for and attack and say, "As of now Aduro you and I are no longer brothers. But enemies now and forever."

With that I launch my first attack on my brother. The first attack I have ever intended to actually harm him. An attack that I intend to kill him with.