The Call to Rise

Origins Part 4: Zane

Flashback:

Cold.

That's what he remembered first. Cold. He was cold. But...it was a good kind of cold. He had nothing to describe it to, but he liked it. He liked the cold.

He also remembered hearing things. Voices. They sounded muffled, and he couldn't quite make out what was being said. Though he had a feeling they were talking about him.

He wasn't sure how long he was like that; cold, and only hearing muffled voices, when he suddenly heard a new sound. It sounded like a huge sucking noise, and he noticed that he was going down. He felt his feet(?) touch something cold and smooth. He didn't get a chance to figure out what it was when he felt something pass over his face. He let in a huge breath--his first- and started coughing. He felt his legs(?) collapse from underneath him and he started to fall.

He felt something warm catch him. The voices were back and there were much louder than before. Too loud! He wanted them to go away! He wanted to be back to where he was before.

Someone laid him down on something cold and he couldn't help but squirm. It was a different kind of cold than he was used to. He didn't like it. The voices seemed to quiet down some, and he heard someone say, "It's alright, son. Open your eyes. Can you open your eyes?"

The person who asked the question sounded really nice. He realized that the voice was asking him the question and he hurried to comply.

Ice blue eyes opened for the first time, and he immediately wished they hadn't. Too bright! It was too bright! He slammed his eyes back shut and sighed as the brightness went away.

He heard some voices around him mutter and the nice voice chuckle and say, "Sorry about the light. It's gone now, can you try again?"

He didn't want to, on the off chance that the light was still there, but the voice had sounded so nice, he didn't want to disappoint it. He opened his eyes again, and blinked a few times. A blurry face came into focus, and he was greeted with a middle-aged man with chocolate brown eyes and dark brown hair that was greying at the temples.

The man smiled at him. "Hello, there."

He blinked and tried to copy the man's smile. He wasn't sure if he succeeded, but after he saw the man's smile grow bigger, he decided that it didn't matter.

~~~~~~~

He frowned, looking disappointedly at his hands.

"Again," a man with charcoal-black skin commanded.

Drawing in a deep breath, he held out his hands in front of him. They started to glow an ice blue. When he exhaled, two beams of ice flew out of his hands. The beam from his left hand faltered and disappeared while the beam from his right hand kept going and hit the wall. A section of the wall became encased in solid ice.

He beamed. That was much better than before! Maybe the gravelly voice would be pleased...

"Again," the man commanded. He deflated.

He turned around and tried again. This time, both hands shot a beam of ice that encased the wall.

The man still did not look satisfied. "Again."

He was about to turn around and try it again when a kind voice interrupted and said, "I think that's enough sir."

He looked up and smiled as his favorite person came in through the door. "Dr. Julien," he cried happily, racing over to him and giving a hug.