Chapter 4: Stamina811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHKjBEJwAC
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Elsewhere on a floating land broken off from Lunar, Marenzo teleported and proceeded to step forwards, slipping around the heavily wooded land. “Juni! Get your ass out here and tell me what you’re wanting me to do this time!” he demanded loudly with a small huff as he came to a stop and folded his arms.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFqwIPVVKf
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“I thought I told you to not call me that.” Junizotz complained while walking into the area Marenzo stood. He pushed his short pale blue hair out of his copper colored eyes, only for his bangs to recover one eye. “If you must call me something for a nickname, call me Jun or something, not Juni.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡys6NFoWd8f
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“I’ll call you what I want because of you pushing me so damn hard in this months’ time.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQg0hsVwrs
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Juni sighed heavily as he came to a stop and folded his own arms, setting his narrowed gaze on his younger brother. “Okay, start from where we’ve always been starting. Do your breathing and show me your magic energy’s radius.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHs7hxI2zcG
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Marenzo rolled his eyes and took a breath. “Demanding, entitled boss head.” He muttered under his breath as he lowered his arms. He shook out his body before closing his sights into darkness. His breathing became slower and more even as he cleared his mind, focusing only on the energy around him.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb606OB8wbT
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Juni held his tongue as he watched while ignoring the insult he’d caught on the wind. Well, this boss head is going to be keeping your ass from getting murdered out there on the battlefield. He thought sternly. It took a few moments but slowly a pale energy began to rise and form around Marenzo. Juni nodded slightly while more continued to rise and wrap around Marenzo’s opened hands. The magic surrounded Marenzo and flowed as if it was part of his personal aura in its pale blue color. “Good, now bring your hands forwards so the heels touch and imagine a shape made of crystalized ice.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0u1dTrWp3Z
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Gradually the energy began to focus in the middle of his hands once he brought them together. The pale color focused and began to take shape, forming a crystalized triangle. Juni continued to observe, carefully taking a step forwards then to the side, beginning to make his way over to stand to the side of his little brother. Now then, “Alura,” he said simply after allowing a few moments longer of silence for the crystal to be formed.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsi6O2Vr5lM
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The second her name was spoken, Marenzo’s focus broke and the crystal fell with electric static striking his body as the magic dissipated back into the surrounding area. He stumbled from the shock of the jolts and quickly he opened his eyes with a sharp breath. “Where?!” he breathlessly asked with a quick turn of his head to the left and to the right.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudyxffeJiS
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Juni rubbed the back of his head. “Mar, Mar, Mar,” he sighed while starting to rub, and then hold the back of his neck. “What have I been telling you?” he lowered his hand away from his neck. “Emotions can both help and hurt your magic when not using amplifiers.” He folded his arms and shifted his weight onto one leg. “You really need to learn and focus whenever her name is spoken. You keep losing focus and it’s annoying because you just hurt yourself.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo2sGZtGhz
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“Shut up and stop getting on me for not keeping a clear focus.” Marenzo growled with a glare towards his brother. “We can’t all be super smart and talented in magic like you.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJl8ntoipt
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“Just because I focused on studying and learning, unlike you, does not mean you are unable to learn. Now, focus your mind and learn from your mistakes for once.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeePBxX6YgW
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Marenzo clinched his hands into tight fists. “Oh, I’ll fix my mistakes.” He suddenly teleported and threw a right punch then a left and a right once more at Juni’s face.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fTmGe6lVa
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Junizotz dodged to the left, right then leaned backwards to avoid the strikes fluidly. His arms folded themselves behind him into the small of his back. He took a couple steps back before lifting and swinging a kick at Marenzo’s side. Marenzo teleported behind Junizotz and threw a punch at the back of his head. Junizotz swung his extended leg up, bent his standing leg while his body turned and pushed up, flipping backwards and avoiding the punch. He landed smoothly and looked confused to Marenzo. “Why the sudden spike in hostility?” he got no answer and this brought Juni to roll his eyes. “Oh you must be kidding me! You can’t still really be blaming me for her breaking up with you.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9iiPptETB
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“Well no one else took my damn rings, weakening my magic and making me vulnerable to a non-magic user!” he snapped with his silver hair falling into his eyes as he took a rough step forwards. “It was all your fault, no matter how you spin it!” he charged forwards in a run and pulled back a punch. Marenzo threw the right fist and shifted his body into a different stance, lifting his left leg and swung.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3RlfzNWLS
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Junizotz leaned back, dodging the punch then ducked and swept out a leg, knocking Marenzo off balance and onto his butt. Junizotz summoned forth a spear of ice and a long sword of fire at either side. He had them both aimed at Marenzo who stayed motionless on the ground, never losing his glare up at his elder brother. “You can blame me all you like but it isn’t going to change what happened. You have the skill and ability to use your magic strongly without those amplifiers, yet you choose to not do so because you want to impress a beautiful woman.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIbgEtFYNA
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“You don’t know nothing.” Marenzo muttered quietly in his throat.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg3rirdAGu
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“Then tell me how you both met so I might know what you claim I do not.” Junizotz kept his tone level with his little brother yet stern.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEeRAuCr1y
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“…We met on Zento. She was caught by a bandit and being robbed so I stepped in, saving the day and freeing her.” He began quietly as he shifted his eyes downwards. “We began traveling together after that. I helped her find her father, she helped me, I helped her and we have just been traveling together since that day.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMNzDLXdjI
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“What was her age?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ym2Li2SeC
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“She…was fifteen then and new to the world of traveling. We went back to Flora with her father, rescued her mother but…” he trailed off as his eyes closed some with sadness.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEGEvSmoLA
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“But…” Junizotz coaxed to get Marenzo to continue.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfktgmGZlxK
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Marenzo was quiet for a few more moments before finally continuing. “…Her parents died as did we but we were brought back by the Water God, Ginsu. He couldn’t save her parents and she was crushed...” he closed his eyes while releasing a breath and lowering his head so his chin rested on his chest. “I couldn’t even stop Amoxious, only injure him. When she began to cheer up and was learning more about her parents…I was so glad and happy, even more so during the festival when we admitted our feelings for each other.” A small smile yet sad smile came to his lips. “It was perfect. The perfect moment…everything seemed as if it couldn’t go wrong.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdLJmNrpol
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Junizotz listened closely yet did not drop his two weapons nor soften his stern sight. “It was only perfect because it seemed like nothing could go wrong, a thing you should already know to never think about. If something can go wrong it will and always at the worse moment…such as when you were with Alura and she saw you kissing another woman.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL41Kf1S7z5
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“That’s because you-” He began while opening his eyes only to silence his tongue quickly.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkj2JmCnl0
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Junizotz narrowed his gaze sharply on Marenzo. “Just finish that sentence, I dare you to continue to blame me for your short comings due to lack of training.” There was a snarl in his throat with the ice spear inching closer to Marenzo’s face. Marenzo held his silence, not wishing to be stabbed between the eyes. “You can’t blame others for your lack of natural skill. You ignored the tutor’s and you ignored mother and myself.” The weapon backed off by this point. “So you have no one to blame but yourself for this failure. Also, you should probably learn to let it go already.” He dispersed the two weapons. “It’s getting annoying and embarrassing. I didn’t think my little brother was a whiner as well as a slow learner.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDEonvzJNV
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“I’m not slow!” Marenzo shouted while quickly jumping to his feet. “I’m just as strong as you and mom and you know it!”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurdUyp91l8
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“Then how come I beat you without even using my hands?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqin3ezCKOg
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Marenzo frowned, “I meant in magic, not kickboxing you ass.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklmaTDLHco
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“If you don’t need training then why didn’t you use magic to get rid of my flaming sword and ice spear? You could have summoned earth to wrap around and smother my flames, then summon forth a hot wind to melt my ice and yet you didn’t.” Marenzo didn’t answer his brother’s calm pointed tone. “Because you can’t without relying on the amplifiers you’ve grown so accustom to using to show off without using any of your natural strength.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4POsn36NG
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“That’s not…” Marenzo began with a step forwards before taking a step back and lowering his head, his sentence remaining incomplete as he didn’t have a counter argument that could stand up to the laws of reason.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bbOW166od
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“Right?” he questioned quietly. “Guess what, it is and you know it is deep inside. You may need to train and focus harder than I did to use other magic aside from ice, but you are able to use more than just reading minds and teleporting.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FXYRYz2uc
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“How are you so sure?” Marenzo looked up to meet Junizotz’s eyes. “I didn’t show any of the same skill you did or that mom apparently had.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4Qag60lT1
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“Because,” Junizotz stepped up to Marenzo. “You and I have the same bloodline, that’s why.” Marenzo didn’t respond, only listened to take it in. “You’re just a late bloomer is all. You just need to, as I’ve been saying, practice and focus your mind for once instead of just half-assing it.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJBe9GGLGN
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“I’ve not just been ‘half-assing it’ as you put it.” Marenzo replied sharply with a mocking tone of his brother’s words.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlpLm4wsTx
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“Then stop being afraid of yourself and show me what you are capable of!”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3e540gR21r
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Marenzo snarled, gripping his fists. “Shut up!” he threw his hands out and fire erupted from his palms. Junizotz grunted as he slid back a few inches. Marenzo snapped his eyes opened shortly after the air grew quiet and his face fell while he stared at his brother, then at his hands as he brought them close.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOljoTwIzDt
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Junizotz looked down to his shirt, equally as shocked to see the singed fabric with a few small holes having formed. “…” he looked up to Marenzo, “impressive…seems you are less like us and more like father…” he mused quietly. “I might need to change our training regiment to accommodate this new development.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOJfzuGgGq
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“How…how did I just do that? I can’t use fire magic…only mind reading and teleporting…” Marenzo whispered in a trembling voice with his eyes still widened in shock.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpma8XsmHH
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Junizotz straightened up and took a step towards Marenzo. “You are like father.” Marenzo turned his gaze up at hearing this finally. “Father…his emotions fueled his magic ability. Mother used to love that about him, claiming it made true sparks in the bedroom.” He shivered along with his little brother as an image flashed through both their minds. “But this means I need to change how we’ve been practicing. Since your key to magic is linked with your emotions, that means we’ll need to find which ones trigger what elements and train it.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP90okEExj
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“I don’t think I can just get angry on the spot. I’m not some mutant that can change form at the drop of a hat.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAUy3ZjSpC
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Junizotz chuckled shaking his head. “No, you would just need to think of a memory, I think. But we first must find out if anger is what triggers fire under more…controlled standards.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOllEUSmqn
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“Like?” the silver haired young man inquired with an extending of his arm, twisting his wrist around with his hand, wishing more information after but a few seconds.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5w4l1Xn01
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“I’ll find a neutral source and we’ll see if you thinking of just a memory that makes you angry will trigger fire. If not then we’ll try a different memory or emotional feeling for fire.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4R4ekkPDkz
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“Sounds as good as any other idea you’ve had this month.” Marenzo folded his arms and sighed as his body suddenly felt heavy. “Damn it,” he grumbled while trying not to collapse.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB4PEXzLsr
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Junizotz made his way closer and took hold of Marenzo, wrapping an arm around him and helped him over to a spot. Juni moved a hand out and twirled it, summoning forth wood which twisted and wove itself into a chair. “Just sit and catch your breath. I’ll go find someone and be back within the hour.” Junizotz stepped back once Marenzo was seated. “Once I have returned, if you feel up to it, we will try putting this into application.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUI7dCMoiTm
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Marenzo nodded and Juni turned, walking away before using an enhancer as he changed forms and took to the air. Marenzo released another breath as he leaned his head back, closing his eyes to relax and enjoy the sounds of nature around him. I wonder how Alura’s doing…and if she still hates me… he sadly thought as he took in a deep breath through his nose, releasing it through his parted lips.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0KSWzxP0G
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