He felt a strange twinge from her obvious emotion, and couldn’t restrain another smile. He broke off, musing at the black flame. “There must be some way this may prove useful,” he said. “The way one may use another’s flame.”
Frost then sent the blackflame back with the rest, and then summoned her own, "hey Citra, If I can manipulate your fire can you do the same with mine?" she asked holding a fireball out to her.
"I had a similar thought." Citra murmured, responding to both Zol and Frost. She reached out for the bright fireball with her hand waiting patiently for Frost to let go.
Frost carefully placed the flames in Citra's hands, "y'know I've never tried this with anyone so different from me..' she said as she pulled her hand away watching to see what Citra could do with the flames.
"Nor have I. But gods! Your flame is so cold!" Citra said wondrously tipping the flame from one palm to the other. It tingled against her skin not as playful as her own blackflame yet still powerful and majestic. She twirled it around her fingers and wrists. "How odd to think that maybe we all are not so different…" She said quietly, bringing her cupped hands up to her face she blew gently on the flames and released them high into the air above them. The ball burst showering their group with tiny embers shaped like butterflies.
"I wonder if there is any other way for our abilities to connect?" mused frost, "Hey Piper aren't you a water element?"
Zol grinned at the floating butterflies slowly flying around their heads.
“What marvelous magic.” he whispered.
He tensed at Frost’s words, but then let himself relaxed slowly.
Citra reached over and dusted a stubborn ember from Zol's hair. "They're just butterflies." she said blushing a bit. She lowered her hand back into her lap as she asked, "Can you manipulate light in such a way?"
He looked taken aback. “I know not. I have never tried such a thing.” He sat back for a minute pondering it.
Slowly he raised his hands, holding them cupped together. From his palms emanated a soft glow that grew gradually brighter. His eyes fell on Piper and it flicked for a second before getting stronger.
With one hand he dipped his fingers into the small pool of light collected in his palm. He drew it out slowly, the light following his touch like cobwebs made of sunlight. A smile crept up his face.
He took the light and began to work it with his fingers, pressing and molding it until he had created a small dragon. It’s glowing yellow eyes shone as it unfurled it’s wings and flew about their heads. Zol laughed with joy as it zoomed down and raced around the floor, gently poking first Citra, then Frost.
Zol called it as it crawled to Piper. It heeded him, and crawled back to him, where it dissipated, leaving the only the shadows from the fire.
In the dim light Zol’s eyes sparkled.
"Yeah" said frost, summoning a misty ball of ice, "I was gonna ask you if you can manipulate soft ice, I mean it's only frozen water right? Which by logic makes an Ice element like me a hybrid who can make things cold and manipulate water, and can only use the two together of course!" she chuckled at the analogy,
((Eek! Sorry I accidentally deleted the last comment.)
Piper laughed. "Yeah! Maybe we can become a power duo." She elbowed Frost playfully. Her eyes caught on the small light dragon crawling towards her, and she met Zol's eyes for a split second before turning back to Frost. Piper held out her hand with the water, pain blossoming in her wrist. She ignored it. "Can you control water without turning it into ice? Or is that just an automatic thing?"
"Never tried such a thing, hmm?" Citra chuckled at Zol's display of mastery.
She twirled her hand again creating a dragon of her own. He looked a lot more menacing than Zol's creature of light and Citra furrowed her brows suddenly remembering how much her family hated her for her darkness. She curled her knees to her chest and stared hopelessly at the tiny dragon who couldn't be bothered with such thoughts as he stomped around the thicket.
"Why would you not explore what you can do with light?"
"I'm not sure," frost said as she tried to get the water to form into a hoop, but it ended up freezing in that shape, "I guess not," she laughed, as she summoned some flames to melt the ice.
Piper sucked in a breath, watching her easy transition from ice to water. "Is it hard transitioning from ice to fire? And do they repent each other, like a little angel and devil on each shoulder?" she asked. She hoped she wasn't stressing Frost out by asking, she was just too curious about the world outside of the Ocean's.
“I am the first of my kind.” Zol said. “Though the Brothers tell me others shall follow me. As it is, there are none to train under. I had not realized I possessed such power.”
Citra blinked at him, surprised, her mouth forming a small 'o'. "The first of your kind… It must be a daunting experience to have so many to rely on you and your strength."
Once more he looked a little taken aback. “I had never thought of it such. But it is.”
He thought to himself. “I truly had never thought of it. It is just how it is.” he said simply, “ It is my duty to my world, and the one’s who I shall take in in the future.”
"Maybe your journey is about how you are to become a great leader." Citra said scooping up her dragon and letting the flame sink back into her skin. She looked up at Zol shyly. "Seems you are already doing well…"
Zol looked a little stunned, but recovered quickly. “Perhaps.” he said, “But the greatest leader is the one who is the servant of all.”
“As it is,” he said quietly, “I am glad you hold me in such high esteem.”
Citra tilted her head as she played with the end of her thick messy braid. She didn't look at him as she spoke but her cheeks colored, "It is not difficult. You are an honorable person, Zol. Even one such as I can see that. "
Zol was silent for a minute, then he spoke softly.
“I thank you. It is but my duty to my fellow man. Nothing more.”
Citra nodded, perhaps reading the meaning of his words incorrectly and stifling her feelings. "You speak much of your duty, but is that a life you truly wish to live?" She was curious mostly, her own life was something she dreamed of escaping from and now she was indeed free, but…lost.
He puzzled her words for a while.
“I believe so.” he said finally. “It is my duty to serve. The Brothers taught me that.” His face cleared. “But it shall be my joy to teach those that come after me. I believe I shall find fulfillment helping others discover their power.”
He smiled, “As you have begun to help me.”
This time Citra did look up at him in surprise. Then she let out a peal of lovely laughter. "Showing you that you can make a dragon out of light is hardly helping you, Zol." She managed to get out between chuckles.
"Hey it teaches him to lighten up that's what!" laughed Frost, "After all he's pretty serious for a light elemental. Most of the ones I know are downright reckless!"
He looked abashed. “I believe so.” he said, “I had never thought of doing such things. What use is power without a mind to accompany it? So yes.” he concluded, “I believe you have helped me.”
Citra's laughter died when she saw how truly serious he was. Instead she continued to stare at him, blush returning in full force across her face. She wasn't sure what to say, 'you're welcome' just didn't seem to be enough. She reached forward and squeezed his hand, eyes twinkling with that strange darkness.
Frost sat back remembering her cousin and the worry she had left her with, And her mom too. Don't worry about it… All you have to do is avoid trouble she told herself, her face clouding with worry as she thought about her family.
He held her hand. Just feeling the strange warmth that emanated just below her skin.