Ice

3

I jolt forward. My heart pounds against my chest.

The sweat on my forehead drips to the duvet pulled over my legs. I am shaking. That nightmare. It was horrid. I was helpless, my life slipping through my fingers. There was blood. They were everywhere, they surrounded me.

I look forward. My nightmare should be over. I should be in my bedchamber. I am not though. I am in a different room. One with many strange beds. Strange metal devices are scattered around the large room.

A woman is beside me. Her hand resting on me.

"Calm down. You are fine," she says. "You know you really gave the expeditionary team a scare. They were only exploring a newly opened cave– That reminds me... When you regain strength, the research department wishes to study your ice. It is very impressive."

"How so? It is just normal ice. We are in Northias. Everyone should be able to make such ice. I have no idea what you are talking about," I say.

The things in the cave. They did happen and I am in the capital. I know from the ice making this room. I-it was taken? Was that proposal and the battle and the... was it all a ruse. Has it all been taken?

That means this must be a Terra native. I will not be studied like some lab rat!

I see water. It drifts around, gently.

"You are rather tense and confused. Odd, I saw no concussion. The healing should have helped if there was one."

I frown. My fingers run along the surface of the bubbles.

"Water?" I question in disbelief.

"You look confused. Everyone here can control water, it's only natural to be able to do it."

Why does she talk of it as if it is common place? The ability was only found two months ago and has been investigated. It should not be possible for it to do such things. No one else knows it. None of us besides Alverien, can control water and ice. This is absolute madness.

I get up from the bed. The only way to find out what is happening, is to explore. She is probably a captive of the Terra. Maybe they did sick experiments on our kind. Was there an invasion whilst I was in the cave?

I need to escape. There is no question about that. But leaving her behind... I do not want that. It is cruel and it would be bad. She has seen me. She could expose me as escaping.

I grab her hand. My decision is made. I can save her and then if worst comes to worst, use her as a hostage. They must have few people so advanced to heal with water, if we just learnt it was possible.

She frowns before I get up and I run, dragging her too.

"Get back into the bed!" She exclaims horrified.

I do not respond. Unlike her, I know better than to waste my breath. Chances are she has been indoctrinated by these people, horrible. They are disgusting in their ways. I can help her once we escape. I know there are some caves a few kilometres away; they are hard to find. We can rest there.

I throw open the door. The passages are the same. Nothing has changed. That is great. I know the secret passages. I was trained to know it all.

The iced halls speed past me.

I hear her panting.

"Where are we going?"

"You should get back to bed."

"Please slow down."

I ignore her. She is indoctrinated, brainwashed. These people will only abuse her talents. She should not stay here.