Chapter Six: Overture
Michael awoke that Sunday morning in his bed next to Willow, her arm resting over his chest. He slipped out of the bed as stealthily as he could before the sun rose that morning, leaving a rose in his place for Willow to find when she eventually woke up.
Michael dressed himself in his elite battle garb: fine red and blue clothing he received as a gift after a quest in Brightwood made of incredible silk fabric and incredibly high quality leather straps with steel buckles. Topped off by black leather boots and fingerless black leather gloves, Michael then attached his old shoulder armor to his left shoulder that he had received on his first quest ever, the one that he now knew, thanks to Dalga's visions, belonged to the legendary Scythe who helped his father get to the Guild in the first place. Finally he attached his father's sword to the outfit with a belt sheath. In doing so, Michael grew sad as he remembered that the baby blanket he usually wore as a belt had been destroyed in Westcliff when he was overcome by Dalga's influence and it burned away. The thought gave Michael an idea, and he left his room quietly and headed to the cemetery.
As Michael walked through the cemetery he couldn't help recall the time the Guildmaster walked him through this place and told him about the tremendous responsibility and burden that came with being a Hero. He walked to his favorite grave, the enigmatic blank gravestone he inquired about during that conversation. The one that Guildmaster James claimed he did not know, but now once again thanks to Dalga he knew that James knew who this belonged to. Michael drew his father's sword, holding it before himself and charging it with a subtle energy. He placed the tip of the sword upon the gravestone's face, and gently carved into it, taking great care not to damage it to any serious degree. Michael paused for a moment, trying to decide just exactly what it should say, and when he decided a great warm smile overcame his face. Michael carved the gravestone with great pride, and when he was finished, the gravestone read:
"Here lies Peter Collins.
Hero.
Not by blood.
But by action."
Michael sheathed his sword and looked upon the freshly engraved tombstone with a beaming smile, whipping a tear from his eye.
"I love you father…And I hope you are half as proud of me as I am of you. Please…be with me today in spirit…so that I might strive to make the world into the kind of place that would have allowed you to be with me here today in life," Michael prayed. He took a moment of silence to honor his father before turning and walking back to the main square of the Guild.
Michael made his way to the training ground where the battle was to take place that day. Already there was a crowd of people gathered to witness the encounter. Nearly everyone knew of the rivalry between Michael and Speer that had developed over so many years together, and everyone had witnessed Speer's outburst at the banquet. Everyone knew what Speer was capable of because of his famous exploits on his missions, and everyone wanted to know what Michael was capable thanks to his recent training with the Guildmaster, but most of all: everyone wanted to know if today would be the first day in centuries that a Hero would kill another Hero.
Willow was standing in front of everyone, the rose from the bed in her hair. She was dressed in all white, a long flowing sundress and her beautiful flowing blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail. No one had ever seen Willow dressed like this, she had always portrayed herself as a no frills sort of girl, but this was a complete 180. Michael approached her with a smile that spread ear to ear.
"What's all this for?" he asked playfully.
"Well…I thought it would motivate you, seeing the future that is waiting for you right around the corner. I'll be here…flowers in my hands in an even more beautiful dress…waiting for you down an isle for you to come and meet me so that you can become my husband," Willow explained in a sweet heavenly tone before kissing Michael ever so gently on his lips, "and I can be your wife. So you'd better come back to me, because I'll be there at that alter…and I don't like waiting," she giggled and jabbed him on the chest with her pointer finger playfully. Willow stepped back into the crowd next to Guildmaster James and Shunt, leaving Michael standing in the middle of the sparring grounds now completely encircled by the Guild who had gathered to watch this fight.
As the morning sun began rising over the horizon a figure appeared in its light. A flash of light, perhaps from the sun, caused everyone who was looking to glance away if only for a moment. When they looked back the figure had vanished, but it wasn't gone. A gasp from the crowd caused everyone else to look back to the sparring grounds where a hooded figure was now standing opposite Michael. The silence was deafening as Michael stood off with the hooded figure, until finally Michael spoke up. He was tired of the dramatic theatrics.
"I know. I'd have a hard time showing my face around here too after what you did," Michael called out.
"My face…" the hooded man began, "will be the most beloved one of all. Right after I kill you," the figure removed his hood to reveal what everyone suspected. It was Speer, but there was an aura about him that no one had anticipated. Speer looked up and for the first time into Michael's eyes, and the sight of him caused Michael to cringe. Speer's eyes had turned red, veins as black as coal were drawn over his face like a spiders web. His mouth looked as if it was permanently carved into a look of disgust and anger, as if this man has never known the concept of happiness. Speer was a changed man, no longer the Hero the Guild knew.
"Oh Speer…what have you done?" James asked. In the blink of an eye, Speer appeared before James eye to eye. No one could believe how fast it was, and everyone stepped back from Speer once they realized how close they were. Everyone that is, except for Shunt and Willow. Willow took the rose out of her hair and pointed the stem, which was surprisingly sharpened, straight into Speer's throat. Shunt stood behind her as an added source of protection, just in case Speer tried something against either James or Willow. Speer didn't flinch, not one bit. He continued to stare right into James' eyes and James did right back.
"I found out what real power was. And now…I finally know how to obtain it. I will spill Michael's dirty blood today…aaaaallll over this ground…all over you…all of you Willow," he said without shifting his gaze from James, "all over you, you traitorous rat," he said to Shunt, again without looking away from James, "all over everyone here…until you are all soaked with his vile blood. And then…I will tear him apart…piece by piece…spread his body across every single corner of Albion…and keep his head as a trophy," Speer began speaking in an increasingly softer tone, leaning forward so to speak into James' ear, causing his neck to bleed from leaning over the sharpened rose stem, "and no one, not even you, can stop me."
Speer lingered there for a moment, a dark grin on Speer's face etched into the minds of everyone looking on at that moment. And the next moment he was back, standing about ten feet away from Michael. Speer's speed was astonishing, but Michael knew what it was. Speer was somehow using the Time Control spell and silenced the sound that comes after which is caused by the rip in time the spell manipulates. He didn't know how Speer was doing it, but all that matters was keeping up with it.
Speer made no motion, but his robe flew off of him to reveal him in his new shadowy attire, flowing black clothes that perfectly accentuated his strengths. Swift, silent, hidden in the shadows. Speer reached down and picked up both of his twin sickles from his belt, taking no battle stance but looked no less deadly. Michael drew his father's sword and stood with it before him, perfectly still, awaiting Speer's first move. Each man knew the first move could be both man's last, or could set into motion a chain of attacks that continued for hours on end. Each Hero took a moment to silently confirm to themselves that this is really what they wanted, that they were absolutely confident they would come out the victor. If they weren't, they were as good as dead. Both Heroes nodded to the other before charging forward, weapons drawn and charged with their unique magical energies. This was going to be the one that resolved their rivalry, and so it wasn't worth holding anything back. It was all or nothing.
