The Showdown

Shane pushed himself up from the ground, trembling in rage. He just suffered a humiliating blow. What the hell was that? Did he really just fall from a trip?

Are you kidding?

Elias stared at him disdainfully, waiting for his next move.

Shane clenched and unclenched his fists, breathing heavily. The spiritual fire moved from his hands up to his arms, until his whole body was submerged in flames. "How dare you look down on me, a senior disciple of Infernal Spirit Sect!" he roared.

Elias stared at him blankly, unfazed by his boost of power. "You want to fight like that?" he said. "Alright then, suit yourself."

The sky above him seemed to darken all of a sudden, and Milan and Alec glanced up in astonishment. Black mist formed beneath his feet and enveloped him as shadows spread throughout the floor strangely.

Teacher Li and Elder Sima watched the phenomenon caused by this boy in amazement. This...was the exact kind of power they needed.

Milan let out a small cry and backed away as the shadows reached her and brushed her ankles. It was cold and dark; coming in contact with a slight sliver of it sent shivers down her spine. What the heck was with this powerful pressure?

Shane retreated a step. No...it was all just a show. This can't be possible. "Fine!" he shouted. "Take this!" He crossed his arms above his head and summoned his spirit animal. The horns of the ram appeared first, flames licking at its tips. Its eyes were set ablaze as it spotted its target.

Shane threw out his arms in the frenzy and called forth two fireballs. "You're gonna regret making me go all out!" he shouted.

Elias didn't even seem to hear him. He was engulfed in his shadows, only his figure was visible.

Shane grimaced. "Attack him!" he ordered his spirit.

The ram charged, placing its strong horns in front. Shane moved his arms in two circles, and the fireballs shot forth, mixing with the spirit before it collided with the shadows.

A huge explosion rang out and the live ground rumbled and twisted, nearly throwing Milan and Alec off their feet.

Teacher Li and Elder Sima simply ascended into the air, watching the whole with satisfaction and approval. "Outstanding," Teacher Li mumbled, completely immersed.

Eryn was the only one who remained on the grounds, unfazed.

The impact blasted throughout the training grounds, knocking over the props and weapons and nearly so the bleachers with its force. The walls shook, causing the disciples to back away from them in fear.

The dust began to settle, and the shadows disappeared along with the pressure. The debris and soot clouded the battlefield, preventing anyone to see what was happening.

Milan brushed the dust away from her eyes and tried to see where Shane and the boy was.

The shadows were gone...did the boy lose? Shane did, in fact, used his full power. Perhaps the boy bit off more than he could chew?

But when it all settled, what she saw was not the case. The boy was still standing, barely scathed, while Shane lying lifelessly on the ground, his spirit animal missing.

The disciples above on the pavilion and the bleachers were completely silent, stunned.

Elias glanced down at the tattered edges of his robes and grumbled. "Darn...again?" he muttered under his breath. He glanced over in Shane's direction.

He lay on his back on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth onto the floor, his clothes turned battered.

"I warned you," Elias said, though he couldn't hear him. He looked up and caught Eryn's smile, and matched it with his.

Teacher Li and Elder Sima descended back to the ground, their expressions contented. Teacher Li waved his arm at Milan and Alec. "Take Shane away and have the doctor tend to his wounds," he instructed.

Milan and Alec bowed, still shaken by the incident and each took one of Shane's arms before helping him away.

Elder Sima chuckled as he came up to Elias a gave him a pat on the arm. "That was incredible!" he exclaimed. "It seems we've finally found someone suitable enough to stay!"

"Stay?" Eryn repeated as she went to stand next to her brother. "Do the rest not 'stay'?"

Elder Sima shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant," he said. "The others that we have tested so far have been sent to assist the lower sects, as they need more boost in power and men more than we do."

Eryn raised an eyebrow. "Ah...so did you plan to send us off somewhere else as well?"

Elder Sima gave a slightly nervous laugh. "No, no, of course not. You...are a special case that we value."

"Value?" she asked. "How so?"

Elder Sima only smiled. "Many questions, I see. That's good, that's good. There are indeed a few more things that I haven't mentioned yet...it stands out from the rest of the things we have already told you," he confessed.

Elias tried to smooth out the tattered edges of his robes and straightened his belt. "What is it?"

Elder Sima opened his mouth to say something, when he suddenly noticed the little black crystal hanging on a silver string from his belt. He froze, eyes widening.

Teacher Li had mentioned that Elias carried a pendant that he valued with him; he nearly forgot until now that he's seen it with his own eyes.

"Grandmaster Feng..." he whispered under his breath. "Could it be...?"

Elias and Eryn frowned. "Excuse me?" he said.

Elder Sima snapped out of his trance and instantly pushed past the twins. "Come!" he said urgently. "We shall discuss this somewhere else that is more...quiet."

Elias and Eryn shared a look and shrugged, perplexed.

Elder Sima was acting strange...he seemed to be in a rush, the look his eyes quite wild.

Teacher Li ushered them along. "Move along," he said. "This may be important. You two, in fact, may play much more of an important role than you think."

The twins did as they were told and hurried after the elder, who was already yards away. They followed him and the teacher out the grounds and through the many halls and decorated courtyards until they reached another one of the grand halls.

Teacher Li stopped and pushed open one set of doors and gestured inside. "Here," he said.

They went inside.

It was much more different than that of the library they were in earlier this morning. The room was large and mostly empty, and only small pieces of furniture and ornaments lined the wooden and bamboo walls.

Teacher Li closed the door behind them.

Elder Sima stopped in the center of the room and whirled on the twins, darting his eyes between the both of them. He glanced down at the black pendant hanging from Elias' belt.

"Where did you get that?" he asked quietly.

Elias glanced down at his pendant that was still glowing ever-so-slightly since last night. "This? It was a gift. Why?" he questioned. He untied it from his belt and held it in his hands carefully.

"Who gave it to you?"

"...I honestly don't know. Eryn said that she heard other people saying it was gifted from a certain grandmaster a week after we were born," he answered honestly. He glanced at the elder's restless expression and tightened his grip around the strings.

"Why?" he asked again. "Is there something important to it?"