The Zodiac Stone

Chapter Two: The Flickering Flame of Hope

Dark fell outside. It would be a moonless night. Aine sat on his bed, the blankets still tight in their places beneath him, his mind swirled with thoughts. Things Vhagn said earlier resurfaced. He shook his head trying to dislodge his worries.

He heard the other boys in the cots on either side of him with their easy breathing. He looked through his arms he had over his drawn-up knees, and watched Fhillip, the boy on his right. The long room of beds were quiet except for the occasional bed shifting, the light and heavy snores and a few mumbles from those who talked in their sleep. Fhillip's chest rose and fell slowly. A He barely made a peep or hardly moved. Aine knew from his many nights awake thinking long into the early hours of why he hadn't gotten his powers yet. Fhillip was a Taurus who gained his element at an early age and never worried about where his powers were.

Aine could remember the day he experienced one of his classmates getting her powers. He lay back and then rolled onto his side tucking his hand under his head. He couldn't stand looking at Fhillip.

It had been their third year at Saziel and sitting near the left side of the room he listened to the scholar tell them about the past leaders of the Virgo Clan when it happened.

Her name was Jemma, and she was a Gemini. All she had done was breathe out normally, except it hadn't been normal. As her breath came out, it blew through the room like a storm, blowing around hair and parchment, and feathers. Their scholar had even been pushed against the wall it had been so forceful.

After, Jemma had been celebrated. Her wind had awakened.

He could feel the racing palpitations under his chest, beating frantically like a rabbit on alert at the memory. He had never experienced the sudden and frightening moment when fire leapt from his fingers without notice. It was something he had looked for, for a long time, and still looked for, but was dimming in hope.

Without his element there would be no place for him in the kingdom. He couldn't help society; he couldn't help his mother – he'd be useless.

He felt the blood drain from his face at the thought and the room turned. Vhagn's joke, might not be a joke after all. He closed his eyes, but it only made it worse. He saw himself standing on the parapets in Vaad. Overlooking the kingdom. He felt hands at his back, and then he was falling. His eyes snapped open.

Sitting up a tremble captured his body. He lifted his hands and stared at the shake in his fingers. He watched with numbing shock.

Once the quakes in his body had faded, he edged himself off his small, twin-sized bed, and stood on legs that wobbled. He felt a lightness about him, his head feeling a thousand pounds on a narrow neck.

He wavered as he took a step and shot out a hand to catch himself on the iron footboard at the base of the bed having to take in several breaths before he was able to start again. Moving one foot in front of the other he headed for the hall out of the room.

At first, aimlessly his feet shuffled down the dark corridors, the same walls he walked every day. One hall near the entrance of Saziel sent the hairs on his arms to stand. The corridor was close to the entry and wind sang through the opening.

As he meandered through the maze of the school, he found himself standing in front of a pair of large wooden doors. He stopped and stared up not realizing he had halted. He stood before a pair of gigantic doors.

His eyes roamed across the dark grained wood and fell over the beveled crest decorating both panels.

The academy's words were carved across, the strong survive. Aine would need to get strong to survive. And that was what had guided him.