Infinite

Chapter 10a - Breaking the Veil

Elixa woke, what she assumed, was hours later. The sky was dark, lit only by the stars and a oddly bright moon. She was outside somewhere. The cool breeze moved over her body gently. It was so calming, no worries, no pain...pain?

Suddenly the memories flooded back into her mind. Sensei absolutely losing her mind at her, the insanely powerful punches, the quick movements, Zephyr. Zephyr and his heat. If she was outside...

She sat up erratically and started looking around in a panic, only to hear a soft hushing sound from behind her. Gently, warm hands eased her down by her shoulders. Her head rested back in the softness of, not grass, but material. She realised she was using a leg as a pillow. Zephyr's leg.

"You need to rest your body. First proper fights take a lot out of a person. To hold your own against Hanna without extreme training, I am impressed." Elixa looked up. Zephyr was still wearing the strangely dark coat, his face hidden by a hood, yet his eyes shone through. The misty grey seeming to reflect the moon beams breaking through the leaves of the tree he was leaning against. Where in the world were they?

"You are safe, you can stop looking so frantic Elixa. I would not take you somewhere out of your comfort zone." Then her thoughts interrupted her again. He was called dangerous by Sens-Hanna-whatever she was called. Elixa moved again. This time Zephyr did nothing to stop her.

"I know that I have a lot of, well, explaining to do. I will not rush you now though. If you wish to leave it for another time, I will do so. If you decide that I am too dangerous, I will leave you alone." Where did the monotony of yesterdays go? Well, if she was going to decide, it was now or never. Let me see what he has to offer.

She took a deep breath, he did save her. As if that could justify it. Her mind half laughed at the notion that she would push him away even if she could not justify getting to know him better. "I want to know. Even if it is not all explained tonight, I would like to know what is going on. My simple work, study and train life has been disrupted too much over the last two days for me not to be curious what I am missing out on now."

He looked intrigued, "You are not scared?"

"Oh, I am terrified, but you have my curiosity. Besides, if I left now, I would feel like I have missed out on something deeper in this world." It was true, her curiosity outweighed her fears. Never one to back away, she would follow this through now. She did still want to be taught by him and the build up to the fight yesterday got her mind wheeling. Who was the real danger? Why would her Sen-urgh. She is now Hanna. "Sensei's deserve honour and respect," she muttered under her voice.

"Yes they do," damn his sharp ears, "and Hanna deserves neither." He looked up at the moon and rolled his shoulders. "She is one of my 'friends'."

"And she trained you? Yet you are stronger?"

He sniggered, almost a low growl. "Trained me, for some part. She was my reason for wanting to start sparring. She spoke of how it would help me. How I was destined for better things than letting people push me around." He smiled sadly, "But she was only using me as an instrument."

"An instrument?"

"I have certain talents, if you can call them that. You see, there is a world running parallel to this one," he opened his hands to the open air around him. "Some people, like me, can touch this side. This parallel place is a one of wonder."

Elixa's eyebrow rose up in disbelief.

"Want me to prove it? This world is one of infinite possibilities if you know how to access it, and control it."

She nodded slowly, unsure all of a sudden. Did she want proof? Proof always changes everything.

"Alright," he said softly. Lifting his left hand, he raised his index finger. At the tip a light appeared. No, a flame, growing slowly. The air started heating up like it did when he appeared from no where. Elixa moved backwards slightly. A playful smile danced across his lips, his face now visible in the light from his hand.

"It will do no harm unless I intend it to, see?" He stretched his arm out towards her slowly. Elixa moved towards it. "Touch it, do not be afraid." She reached out, the air deceptively hot. Tentatively, she touched the flame, which was now big enough to engulf her entire finger. It wrapped around her, and instead of burning, it was as cool as the breeze had been that woke her.

"Can anyone do this?" She asked, looking through the burnt red element to stare into Zephyr's grey eyes.

"Only a select few. Which brings me to my next explanation." The flame died quickly, the air cooling instantly around them. Elixa shivered in the sudden cold. He continued, "I traveled to find others like me. Like Hanna, who could teach me. They were all the same. Overcome with power that they kept to themselves. Thinking them silent deities in this human world. So I started training myself." He opened his arms, inviting her into his warmth.

She moved forward. He was opening to her in more ways and she still felt safe around him, strangely so. It was almost as though he was the only truth in her life, all of a sudden. Stranger still by the fact that she thought him to be insane just moments before. Because you know truth when you see it.

Her mind was right once again. It was as though he was not dangerous but rather a savior to her. Stockholm syndrome, when the captive falls in love with the captor. Her psychology notes flared in her mind, but she could walk away from this all still. He had not captured her, not physically.

She sunk into his arms, his chest radiating incredible warmth. The heat was just what her body was craving. Again, she felt weak. Her brain hurt from all that was shared. As truthful as it felt to her, it was still a lot to take in.

"Can, I go home? I am tired Zephyr." His name still made her heart beat fast and hard. She heard his respond in kind. Drumming away against her ear.

"I am afraid not, Elixa." Shivers, delight. "But I have a getaway, if you so desire. I do not know how you feel about sleeping at Alex again."

"Please no," she said with a small laugh. Happy.

"Then let us make due, best you sleep off those injuries." He picked her up easily, pulling her close against his chest as he stood. She looked around as he began walking. Ahead of them was the town, lights polluting the star-crossed night. Around them was a forest, deep. They had been sitting in a clearing with a large tree in the center. She knew the forest though she had never ventured so far into it, no one in town had for fear of getting lost.

She closed her eyes, and let him carry her. "Thank you," she whispered softly, a dull ache rearing its head in her arm again. He said nothing but walked on. She floated on, in security, in trust.