107 Orion's gift (2)
Orion’s eyes widened as he blinked, confused about the sudden turn of events. ‘What just happened?’ he wondered to himself, his mind racing with questions.
Moments ago, when his hand collided with the ground, Orion witnessed something peculiar. It wasn’t just a mere flash of light – it was something far more extraordinary. He saw several distinct, visible flickers of electric current running out of his clenched fist, sending shivers down his spine.
Orion’s brow furrowed with uncertainty as he knelt on the clay soil, his mind racing with doubts. “It can’t be a mistake, right?” he mused to himself, his fingers digging into the earth beneath him. “Let’s try it again.”
With determination etched on his face, Orion balled up his right hand into a fist and punched it into the ground. But as he blinked in anticipation, nothing happened. “Nothing,” he muttered unconsciously to himself, before quickly correcting himself with a firm “No.” There was definitely something missing, he realized.
Taking a deep breath, Orion tried to remember what had happened the first time. As the electric current flowed out of his fist, he had felt an overwhelming surge of anger, a desire to tear through the ground in a fit of rage. But instead, all he had gotten was a bright flash of light. Now, as he searched for that same feeling, he couldn’t quite seem to summon it.
“That’s it,” Orion muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a deep breath and folded his right hand into a fist once more, his mind consumed with the emotions he had felt when his hope of awakening his gift was shattered.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Orion felt a fraction of the anger and helplessness coursing through his body, tearing apart his emotions like a whirlwind. He couldn’t accept the idea that he didn’t possess something as magnificent and unique as a gift. With a fierce determination, Orion cracked his knuckles all at once and tightened his fist, feeling the muscles in his arms bulge with power.
With a guttural cry tearing out from his throat, Orion threw caution to the wind and slammed his fist into the ground, not caring about the pain or injuries he might incur from the impact. The sound of his fist hitting the soil was like thunder, a deafening “BAM!” that echoed through the air.
In the split second before Orion’s fist made contact with the ground, something miraculous happened. Arcs of electricity shot out from his clenched fingers, stretching outwards in all directions like a fiery net. As the arcs touched the grains of clay soil around him, a small wind kicked up, pushing back a spray of sand.
ƥαṇdα-ηθνε|·ƈθm
With a loud exhale, Orion released the energy that had been coursing through his body, feeling a strange sensation wash over him as it dissipated into the air. He was left feeling slightly tired, but also exhilarated at the same time.
“Ha! Haa!” he breathed out again, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. As he looked around at the scene in front of him, he realized that he had finally tapped into the power that the village chief had spoken of during his evaluation. The energy that had been dormant inside him all this time had finally been unleashed.
For a moment, Orion’s mind flashed back to the times when he had watched Ursa and Sura activate their gifts. He could now understand how they must have felt, the rush of power and excitement that came with it. But he quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, committed to focusing on understanding the nature of his own gift.
With deliberate slowness, Orion unclenched his fist, raising it slightly before hovering his hand over the moist clay soil. In a sudden burst, electricity surged through his fingers, crackling and buzzing along his arm. As he continued to move his hand upwards, the grains of clay soil obediently followed, as if caught in a frozen moment by the arcs of electricity emanating from Orion’s hand. Finally, with a deep breath, Orion stood up and stretched his arm out to shoulder height, still holding the hovering grains of soil captive beneath his palm.
With a sharp intake of breath, Orion let out a loud and dramatic “Haaaaa….” before quickly closing his hands into fists as if he were commanding the visible arcs of electric currents to retract back into his body.
In an instant, the crackling energy dissipated, causing the once-hovering grains of clay soil to fall rapidly to the ground with a startling “Crackle!” The sound of something tearing through the wind filled Orion’s ears, causing him to jump back in alarm and widen his eyes with surprise.
The speed at which the grains fell was astonishing, so fast that Orion could barely track them with his eyes. For a moment, he stood there stunned, taking in the sudden silence that had replaced the frenzied crackling of electricity.
His eyes widened as he gazed upon the countless needle-sized holes that now dotted the ground where he had previously stood. He couldn’t help but approach them, his heart racing as he realized what must have caused them.
As he examined the holes, Orion’s lips remained sealed, his mind struggling to find words to describe the fear and wonder he felt at the destructive power he had unleashed. Without hesitation, he repeated his previous action, determined to see it through to its conclusion.
This time, he refused to blink as he watched the grains of clay soil tear through the ground with a force and strength that seemed impossible for such small particles to possess. A sense of awe and trepidation filled Orion as he beheld the raw power he had unleashed.