02-19-2025, 11:57 AM
In a flurry of motions Sasha's hand was pinned to the wall behind him and the cold look in Nox's eyes sent fear through Sasha' body. The power fluttered away and he was left feeling empty and devoid of all the colors of the world. He'd lost the power because of fear and manhandling. Why? But Sasha just stared up at the man who pinned his hand to the wall and totally ignoring him for the moment to check on the girl.
"You've done nothing wrong. Sasha's just a bit skittish. We won't bother you." Nox said in the same empty voice he'd used to tell him off. He turned back to Sasha and leveled an unemotional look at him. He wasn't angry. He wasn't sad. He wasn't even happy when he spoke. "Did you do that on purpose?"
"Do what on purpose?" Sasha asked truly having no idea what he meant.
"Did you touch the source of your power and create the fire on purpose or did you do it because you were afraid and it just happened."
Sasha shrugged. "I was holding the power like you told me to. The fire was in my control. I made it." Sasha's voice was a whiney and he knew it he stood up tall. He was a few inches taller than Nox and that made him puff his chest out a little more. "I made it!" He said proudly.
The look on Nox's face never changed but he nodded. "Good. You won't die them while I figure this out. Sasha." His voice was still cold but it was low and just for him. "Can you promise me you'll never draw more power than half of what you can. Can you promise me you won't let it hurt you?"
His voice didn't seem like it cared but there was a tenderness a warmth that seemed to be passed through to him. Like he cared but his voice said otherwise. "I'll try." Though he didn't quite understand how he'd even know.
Nox pointed to the threads still hanging in the middle of the room. "Practice the fine threads and make balls out of them. Master that and I can help you understand more. Just don't draw upon all your power."
"Are we done here?"
Nox shook his head. "Only if you want to be. You can practice here, follow the threads on the holo screen."
That didn't seem like much to do. Sasha stared at him as he moved from the mat to the girl who'd scared him. Her little dog was strange and still baring its teeth at him. Sasha wasn't sure if he wanted to stay. He wanted to learn. He looked back at the hologram hanging in the air and decided that was better than not knowing anything.
"You've done nothing wrong. Sasha's just a bit skittish. We won't bother you." Nox said in the same empty voice he'd used to tell him off. He turned back to Sasha and leveled an unemotional look at him. He wasn't angry. He wasn't sad. He wasn't even happy when he spoke. "Did you do that on purpose?"
"Do what on purpose?" Sasha asked truly having no idea what he meant.
"Did you touch the source of your power and create the fire on purpose or did you do it because you were afraid and it just happened."
Sasha shrugged. "I was holding the power like you told me to. The fire was in my control. I made it." Sasha's voice was a whiney and he knew it he stood up tall. He was a few inches taller than Nox and that made him puff his chest out a little more. "I made it!" He said proudly.
The look on Nox's face never changed but he nodded. "Good. You won't die them while I figure this out. Sasha." His voice was still cold but it was low and just for him. "Can you promise me you'll never draw more power than half of what you can. Can you promise me you won't let it hurt you?"
His voice didn't seem like it cared but there was a tenderness a warmth that seemed to be passed through to him. Like he cared but his voice said otherwise. "I'll try." Though he didn't quite understand how he'd even know.
Nox pointed to the threads still hanging in the middle of the room. "Practice the fine threads and make balls out of them. Master that and I can help you understand more. Just don't draw upon all your power."
"Are we done here?"
Nox shook his head. "Only if you want to be. You can practice here, follow the threads on the holo screen."
That didn't seem like much to do. Sasha stared at him as he moved from the mat to the girl who'd scared him. Her little dog was strange and still baring its teeth at him. Sasha wasn't sure if he wanted to stay. He wanted to learn. He looked back at the hologram hanging in the air and decided that was better than not knowing anything.