*
They walked in silence, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Neither tried to strike up a conversation, nor did they particularly desire to exchange pleasantries. Alza used this time to study her unusual companion. At first glance, she appeared to act like any other human, in both manner and form. But once one looked closer, glaring irregularities began to appear. Ion would often begin to levitate a few inches from the ground as she walked, only obeying gravity when she noticed, but repeating the offence minutes later. Also, small puddles of water appeared wherever she trod, quickly evaporating in the desert heat. Finally, she seemed to stop breathing for lengthy periods of time, as if respiration was something that happened to other people.
Alza knew that Ion was not human, but was she really was continued to elude her. As for Ion herself, she gave not the slightest indication that she knew she was being studied. Her mind was wandering, trying to find its way back to a time when life was simple and the world wasn't in peril. It was ironic, that humans had created this predicament and now they were using humans to solve it. However, humans with weak wills would never survive what was to come. She had to be certain that she had chosen the right person. She needed a test.
“I must leave you for a time. I am needed elsewhere.”
“Your comings and goings are not my concern, do whatever you want.”
“Fine. But, just remember this, even if it seems like it, you are never truly alone.”
“I don't need your help if that's what you are saying. I can handle anything that comes my way by myself.”
“Hmm... For your sake, I hope that that's true. Farewell for now.”
A sudden downpour marked Ion's exit, the pebble sized raindrops sizzling as they hit the burning sand. Alza continued on unabated, focusing on closing the distance between her and the green sanctuary ahead. The light-headedness caused from the snake had all but disappeared, allowing her to think clearly for the first time since the incident.
A sudden movement drew her eye to the heavens. A strange figure was descending from the sky, the wind forming a vortex beneath it. It wore a strangely familiar black robe with jagged red thunderbolts running down the length on either side.
“Did you forget something, Ion?”
The figure drifted closer, causing Alza to stop in her tracks. In direct contrast to Ion's cold yet helpful demeanour, this new arrival exuded pure malevolence and hatred. Instinctively, Alza took a step back, something deep within her telling her legs to turn her around and run away, without looking back. But she could not obey, as fear had rooted her to the spot. The figure came ever closer, his short reddish hair reminding her of congealed blood and his lifeless grey eyes only serving to reinforce his death-like visage. He sported a humourless grin, which sent another chill down Alza's spine. His pale feet touched down on the searing sand, but he acted as though the heat didn't even exist. He turned to face her -eyes swivelling unnaturally before coming to a stop- whilst gazing at her cowering frame.
He opened his mouth, revealing a row of perfectly polished, shining teeth. In heavy tones of death and destruction, he said, “Who are you? Why are you here? Where did you come from? What does your terrified face look like?”
All this was said in a flat, monotonous voice, which only served to add to its terrifying effect. Without waiting for an answer, the entity continued, “You are nothing. You exist to be nothing. You come from nothing. And your terrified face... looks like this!”
Without warning, the figure sprung forward, an arm outstretched in Alza's direction. She jumped backwards, his cold fingers missing her face by mere inches. He took another step forward, his unused arm coming forward and ending in a bunched fist. It connected with her abdomen, sending pain shooting through her body. She flew back, before landing on the hard sand. Where his hand had connected, there now lingered numerous static sparks, numbing the area in seconds. The numbness spread down her right leg, rendering it unusable. The man raised a hand to the sky, palm upwards. The clouds above crackled and a sudden, biting wind ran through the area.
“The skies, heed my call. For me, they will destroy all! For me, they will destroy you!”
The clouds darkened, with a white patch forming in the dead centre. From within the spot, a lance of lightning broke through, heading straight for Alza's undefended heart. Time slowed. The air seemed to gain a violet tinge. A voice rang out in Alza's mind, saying, “Is this really it? It this all you are capable of? You disappoint me, little girl!”
The voice acted as a switch, snapping Alza away from wherever her terror had taken her. She felt her body begin to fill with power, as she performed a back-flip that would put a professional gymnast to shame. The bolt struck her after-image, before draining away into the earth. However, she had little time to congratulate herself, as another dozen white patches had formed above. They stuck as one, as precise as heat-seeking missiles. A simple acrobatic manoeuvre wouldn't cut it this time. Instead, she mustered the power bubbling within her, directing it into the sand beneath her. It rose up in a great earthy curtain, completely surrounding her. The lightning struck, the intensity of the attack turning the sand to glass before her very eyes. She was left standing in a still-cooling glass bubble, some ten feet high and just as wide.
“I will never run away! My only way is forward!”
Alza sent out a shock wave from her core, shattering the dome into hundreds of razor sharp pieces. Another shock wave froze them in place, each pane showing her reflection as they slowly spun through the air. She raised a hand, and the shards aligned themselves accordingly.
“Be gone, lightning-king.”
With a flick of her wrist, the jagged fragments sped towards their target at extraordinary speed, before piercing him through and through. Although the wounds looked fatal, the man with red hair never stopped smiling. Blood ran down his cheeks from his soulless eyes, creating a truly terrifying visage. He faded away, his voiceless laugh still ringing in her ears.
Alza turned around, not wholly unsurprised to see a familiar figure in the distance. The woman standing on the distant hill shook out her dark black locks, her sapphire eyes connecting with Alza's violet one's for a moment.
“Ion. So this phantom was her doing. What is her true objective?” However, the figure had disappeared once more, after uttering a simple yet foreboding statement, “One.”
Rubbing her numbed limbs back into life, she carried on, hesitant to stay in the area, lest the man who wielded thunder and lightning return. Alza chided herself, stating that she was born without fear, but some part of her protested, saying that what she had felt was not fear, but the feeling of one's death rapidly approaching, without having the strength to prevent it.
“Yes,” thought Alza, “That's called life.”
Her injured abdomen aside, she did not appear to have any other lacerations or bruises. However, her extended use of her powers had left her physically weakened, and after a few half-hearted steps, she slumped to the ground. She looked at her dirtied hands, which only minutes ago had worked miracles and death. She still did not fully understand what slept within her, only that it appeared to respond to her will and instinct. It was a fickle thing, seemingly with a mind of its own, as it would help her one minute and scorn her the next. Apparently, it was not to be used flippantly, as it left a great strain on her body. It was hard to control, but devastating when used correctly.
Awakening Page 90