Path Of The Broken

21. Subtlety-2

Alex lay back on his bed at the inn he seemed to keep returning to even when he was out of his mind. This time, even though he’d spent a delightful evening with Isabella, he hadn’t ended in bed with her, although that was more Isabella than him, since she’d practically pointed out he needed more time to come to terms with being back first. She didn’t want to take advantage of him, he realised, and he chuckled in amusement. At least none of the flashing images filling in the gaps in his memory indicated he’d killed anyone this time. These days he had to take the small personal victories when they occurred. Isabella’s face flashed into his mind—mentor, friend, lover and all-around complication in his life that he didn’t care to avoid. Last night, by mutual agreement, they had both decided to put the lovers part on the back burner. At least until he’d settled down to being back in his own head. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Isabella was correct. Coming back to himself was always a little unsettling.

Absently he willed small flames in and out of existence. It was one thing to practice in the middle of nowhere with no risk at all to anyone, yet here he had to exert control over himself and his power. If he didn’t, the inn and all occupants would likely end up dead in an unexplained fiery death. He knew that he would live—his first unwitting experience had proven that.

Frowning, Alex remembered his encounter with the Sundered when he’d gone to try and help Kyle and the blow he’d received from his opponent. He’d instinctively copied what the Sundered had done, yet he still wasn’t sure how he’d done it. Alex sprang up from the bed and shifted from his room at the sleepy little village back into the depths of the forest where he’d learned how to use fire. He’d come to think of the blackened area as his training ground.

There wasn’t much left standing in the large blackened circular patch—a few blacked tree stumps and some boulders were about it. Alex looked towards the edge of the forest but didn’t want to cause more destruction on the old wood than he already had. It had stood impervious to the devastation that was humankind, until he had come along and changed that in an instant. Switching his view, he saw the swirl of colourful power flows around him more clearly, in stark contrast to the black place he stood in.

Concentrating, he pulled some of the silver-grey strands that he associated with wind and speed—or at least he knew that to travel faster on the veiled paths he used more of that colour. He frowned as he formed it into a ball and sent it at a large boulder a few paces away from him. The result wasn’t spectacular; his efforts just rolled over the rock.

Biting his lip, Alex paced a few steps before turning and walking back again. Finally he turned, drew in more power, and flung it at the boulder. His eyes narrowed as this time his efforts resulted in the boulder rolling over. Not what he’d had in mind, yet better than his first effort. Conscious that his anger level was rising, Alex pushed his concern aside. This time he drew in both the silver-grey and wove some of the green strands, the earth, through it. Compressing the power into a smaller, tighter formation, he hurled it at the boulder.

Alex’s eyes widened in shock, and he hit the ground, covering his head as an explosion rocked the clearing, booming over the forest in a loud crack. Alex instinctively raised a shield of air around himself to block the shards of rock flying through the air, shunting the projectiles on a different path. Leaves fell to the ground from the distant trees as the missiles shredded them off the branches. Alex looked up, saw a hole and rock shards where once the boulder had stood, and let his barrier fall. Looking around, he noted the eerie silence that had fallen over the forest. Not even so much as a single bird call could be heard. Finally, he hauled himself to his feet and looked at the devastation he’d caused.

Hearing delighted laughter ring out behind him, Alex spun around to see Isabella, hand covering her mouth, which did nothing to hide her mirth at all. Alex groaned and covered his face with his hands, knowing that his whole face was burning red.

“How about we try that again, Alex. This time with a little more control?”

Alex looked up at the sky and shook his head, then spun, and crouched reflexively as another explosion rang out. He realised he didn’t need to dive to the ground as the pieces of the boulder Isabella had exploded flew through the air. Isabella walked towards him, absently throwing up her own barrier to keep them safe.

Alex looked down at the ground, then back up at her, unable to help the grin that spread on his lips. He shook his head self-deprecatingly at her display and turned, looking for another boulder. Spotting another large one off to the side, he took a deep breath and concentrated on what he wanted. This time he attempted what Isabella called ‘control’. It wasn’t as easy a thing to achieve as she made it seem. Sometimes it felt like the veil had other ideas. Alex felt the warmth of her body as she pressed up against his side, one of her hands on his back, the other resting on his arm. Her voice whispered in his mind.

Now concentrate, Alex. Draw what power you need to perform the action you want, and no more.

Alex took a deep breath, blocking out everything except the sound of her voice, and began to draw in power, this time making a conscious effort not to overdo it.

The forest around them was teeming with creatures. All of them stayed frozen in place, quiet, knowing predators when they heard them.