*
They soon left the red and white scenery behind, as they made their way towards a large rocky outcrop. It was not exceptionally large, but its verticality contrasted sharply with the flatlands; and Alza hoped that it might provide some shelter from the coming darkness. The sun was starting to sink below the distant horizon when they arrived, leaving a shrinking sliver of light to guide their way. Ion seemed not to notice the creeping darkness, and walked on with an unearthly confidence.
Reaching the outcrop, Ion motioned for Alza to head towards a smooth section of barren rock. Confused by her directions, Alza opened her mouth to ask about shelter, when Ion moved passed her and placed her slender hands on the cooling stone.
“This is my brother’s realm, but I think that given the circumstances, he wouldn’t mind if I intrude a little.”
“You have a brother?” Alza said, mostly unintentionally. In that instant, an image flashed across her vision: a young man with bone coloured hair and flaming eyes. A second later, the image was gone, leaving Alza with yet more questions.
“Two. Terra and… Look, it’s not important. What is important is finding you a place to spend the night. Hmm, this should do…” said Ion, trailing off while looking at a seemingly unimportant section of the outcrop. A sudden chill made Alza look down in surprise at the newly formed ice spreading below her feet. Following its path, she found that it began at the same spot where Ion had placed her hands a moment prior.
The ice moved across the sand in an unnervingly alive manner, seeming to seek out faults in the rock in which to insert itself. Once it had done so, a terrible groaning filled the air, as the implanted ice began to expand, shattering the rock. Less than a minute after it had appeared, the ice vanished, leaving a moderately sized depression in the outcrop, just big enough to fit one small human.
“Somewhat crude, but it should suffice.”
As Ion spoke, Alza gave an involuntary shiver as the last rays of light disappeared and darkness filled the ice-hewn cave. Noticing this, Ion followed with, “Unfortunately for you, fire has never really been a speciality of mine, for obvious reasons. So if you want to stay warm, you're going to have to make one yourself.”
Nodding, Alza set about looking for kindling and a source of ignition. After several minutes of fruitless searching, Ion spoke, “Just what are you thinking, fool-girl? Is that power of yours only for crushing automatons and digging for water?”
Alza wanted to retort that her power had been rather non-compliant lately, but the stern look on Ion’s face made her reconsider her words. Instead, she sat down in the centre of the cave and concentrated on using what little remained of her strength to will a fire into being.
She began by clearing her mind of all distractions, emptying it of the hundreds of questions she wanted to ask her mysterious saviour. She focused on the power which dwelt deep inside her mind, and like a blind man stumbling about an unfamiliar place, she probed for the source of her miracles.
It did not come easily, as it had before. Every time was different, with the power sometimes leaping into her control at the slightest provocation, and refusing to budge an inch at others. This time was unfortunately one of the latter, but she persevered, the twin pressures of the cooling air and Ion’s even colder gaze egging her onwards. Finally, she grabbed a hold of the squirming energy, which immediately started trickling out of her mental grasp.
Acting quickly, she forced the power into the shape of a ball of fire, mentally shaping and guiding it to take on the qualities she desired. “Hot and bright,” she thought, trying to get the nascent flame to understand what it needed to be. Little by little, she felt the power within her accept its new form, which she then willed into reality.
When she finally opened her eyes, a fist sized ball of fire lay at eye-level. The heat coming off it was less than she had expected, and its light barely illuminated the shallow cave. However, for a mind and body on the brink of exhaustion, it was a wondrous thing to behold.
“Not bad. I look forward to seeing what you will be capable of in the future. However, compared to my older brother’s champion-
Ion stopped speaking when she noticed that no one was listening. Alza, having exhausted truly every ounce of energy left to her, had fallen into a deep sleep. The ball of flame orbited above her, a watchdog protecting its weary master. Its flickering light would deter any would-be attackers, allowing Alza to sleep in peace.
“Rest, Daughter of None, for the hurdles you have faced thus far pale in comparison to the horrors that lie ahead. Before this journey is done, you will know true despair, but you must rise above it, for the world will not survive your failure.”
Ion then stepped out into the cold night, enjoying the sensation as she strode away from the tiny light in the great darkness. She faded with every step, like a mirage coming into view, and before her seventh footfall, she was gone.
Awakening Page 74