The Sky's the Limit: SkyBrine and Enderlox

The Power

  Neither boy spoke to the other for the rest of the day after returning to the cave. They silently retreated to their rooms. After a few hours of engrossing himself in books and small craft projects, Deadlox left to ransack the kitchen for dinner, then returned to his room. The whole time, he never heard Sky's door open.

  We are not just going to wallow in emotions, he decided the next morning. We are going to get up and do something useful.

  Deadlox marched up to Sky's bedroom door and knocked sharply. When there was no reply, he knocked again. Putting his ear to the door, he could hear the other boy snoring.

  "Sky, get up," he commanded loudly. Sky's snoring ceased and Deadlox knew that he was awake, but the other boy didn't reply.

  Letting out a small growl of frustration, Deadlox slipped the bands off of his wrists, letting his wings and tail spring free. He channeled the storm in his chest, summoning a spurt of power. Deadlox slammed his hand against Sky's door, and it literally exploded inward off of its hinges. Sky screamed something very inappropriate and Deadlox stepped through the smoke to give Sky a death stare.

  "What was that for?!" Sky screeched, his glasses off and his empty eyes blazing. He yanked his blanket up to cover his bare chest. "I was sleeping!"

  "And I told you to get up," Deadlox replied without pity. "You did not listen."

  "You didn't have to break down my freakin' door!" Sky yelled. "Invasion of privacy!" He threw a pillow at the intruder and it was avoided as the intruder leaned to one side. Deadlox strode forward, tail lashing in frustration, and yanked the blanket off of Sky, flinging him off of the bed. The shirtless boy lay on the floor, groaning, until Deadlox yanked him to his feet.

  "Dude, this is so not cool," Sky complained as his friend went through his clothes and threw a whole new outfit at him.

  "We are going to train today," was Deadlox's reply. "You are going to experience your powers; you've never even taken your amulet off."

  "For good reason," Sky defended, obvious panic rising in him as he clutched the amulet around his neck. "I was told not to! I don't know what would happen if-"

  Deadlox cut him off. "Then I guess it's time to discover what happens."

  Deadlox had found a relatively flat field about a mile from the base after about a month. He spent a day cleaning it up, killing weeds and thistles and clearing limbs. He did not, however, touch the fallen tree or the long grass that reached up to his shoulders in some places.

  "We're training here?" Sky said in a disbelieving voice. Deadlox shot him a glare, leading him into the middle of the field. Sky had some difficulty, his pants snagging on briars and his arms getting scraped by the long grass. At one point, he yelped in pain, having been poked by a thistle that Deadlox had not gotten rid of.

  Finally, after a good ten minutes of unnecessary struggle and loud curses, Deadlox stopped him.

  "We'll start by taking that amulet off."

  Deadlox had no idea what would happen if the amulet was removed. He knew that it absorbed other power to protect Sky, but it also suppressed power; and for Sky's power to be suppressed for so long, he didn't know if it would act normally or all come out in a fiery explosion.

  Sky stiffened, involuntarily leaning away from his friend. Letting out a small huff of impatience, Deadlox leaned forward, reaching for the amulet. As he took the jewel at the end in his hand, Sky's hand shot forward and grasped his wrist.

  "Deadlox, I don't know if I..." he started, then took a deep breath. "I'm scared. I don't know what's gonna happen."

  Through his eagerness to discover, Deadlox felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy. He looked Sky in the eyes, trying to look calm.

  "It will be okay," he told him, hesitantly putting a hand on Sky's shoulder. With his other hand, he took hold of the amulet and slipped it off of Sky's neck.

  Instantly, white light exploded from Sky's body, searing hot and sending Deadlox flying across the field. He watched in awe as the light continued to come, destroying the contents of the field; meanwhile, Sky's body was rising into the air. Finally, it stopped expanding, withdrawing into Sky's eyes.

  Those same white eyes, burning with a newfound strength, found Deadlox at the edge of the field and, with an unearthly sound, Sky summoned a handful of white fire and hurled it at his friend.

-

  When his amulet had been taken off, Sky felt something instantly change inside of him. A beast had been sleeping inside of him, curled up and quiet inside of his chest, but when the amulet was removed from his person it suddenly woke, roaring and unfurling its talons and sending fire coursing through him. He was perfect, the very essence of power and rage and it raced through his veins, setting him ablaze with his own fury. He could see nothing but the light, and that was all that he needed to see. Nothing could tether him to the ground, nothing could stop-

  The light focused into shapes, then color, until he was still covered in it but could see his surroundings. TreegrassfieldgoneENEMY. He could sense its presence like a thorn in his side. It stood on the edge of the field, the demon. He willed the power to his right hand, gathering a ball of flames in the palm of his hand. Kill it kill it kill kill kill kill...

  He hurled it at the demon, who swiftly dodged it. Even from his position, Sky could see the shock register in the demon's eyes. It touched its wrists—removing two bracelets—and it sprang into its true form. Sky's hate intensified. This thing was wrong, it brought order, so disgustingly right. He called more fire, flying through the air to make close contact.

  The demon's great wings carried it into the air to meet Sky, and it swiftly dodged Sky's attack. Sky saw something grasped in its talons, and simmered with fury. His amulet, the wretched device that had restrained him from this power for so long.

  "Sky! Stop!" the demon screeched, flying expertly to avoid Sky's wrath. "This isn't you!"

  Sky said nothing, but turned and surprised the other creature with a fistful of fire. It made contact with the thing, burning its wing and making him cry out with pain. As it tumbled towards the ground, it latched its arms around Sky's neck, bringing the brine down with him and slashing its talons across his chest. The two crashed to the ground, Sky landing on top of the smaller creature. He pinned it to the ground, raising his hand again, the flames giving off heat and light and he would finally kill him and the world would be free from order and-

  A cold weight settled around his neck as the demon reached him and quickly slid the amulet around Sky's neck. Instantly, the beast within him withdrew, curling up to sleep once more. The last of the white light withdrew, and the flames in Sky's hand flickered out. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him, and before he fell unconscious, he realized that he had lost control and almost destroyed his friend.