Aquaica: From the Depths(Teaser)

First Snow

The shift in the weather transformed the castle's surroundings into a dazzling, world of white; the untouched layer of snowfall glistened from the full moon’s light, which crunched underfoot as Serenity made her way to meet Gale. She found him standing near one of the frozen statues near the back of the courtyards.

“Are you sure it’s not too cold for you tonight?” Gale asked as she approached him. “We can always practice another time.”

“I am warm enough, thank you,” she smiled. “As long as the river is not freezing over, I should be safe.”

Gale’s expression became one of curiosity as he handed her a wooden training sword. “What happens when it gets that cold outside?”

“That is the point when Aquaians are most in danger out in the elements. We can not be out in the extreme cold without starting to freeze ourselves. Luckily, we have not seen those kinds of temperatures here–not in a long time, that is.”

His eyes widened with this bit of information. “As in, frozen solid?”

“Yes, but I have never known anyone to have done so in my lifetime,” she answered, raising her faux sword into a defensive position.

“That is a relief,” Gale replied, relaxing a bit.

He raised his weapon above his head, bringing it down upon her shoulder. He took care to move slow enough to give her a chance to block, but fast enough to keep her on her toes. Their wooden swords met with a loud thunk. Serenity shifted her stance as Gale continued the assault. She blocked each advance with ease, their dull blades locking in the final attack. Gale stepped back, lowered his sword, and gave her an approving smile.

“Very good, Serenity, you are a fast learner. Let’s pick up the pace, shall we?”

“Very well.” She returned to her starting stance.

This time, she seemed to struggle with her moves–she failed to block his last swing and took a blunt blow to her rib cage. She staggered backwards a few steps, attempting to catch her breath.

“Are you alright, Serenity?” Gale asked with a note of concern.

“Yeah, I just lost my breath for a minute. I will be fine,” she said as she doubled over.

Gale walked over, placing a hand on her back. He watched for a moment, her deep breaths escaping her lungs as tiny clouds.

“Try to anticipate my movements next time. You want to be one step ahead of me, if possible.”

Serenity let out a soft, rippling giggle. “Oh, you mean like this?”

Serenity playfully poked Gale in the gut and ran away, her laughter echoing off the cold stone walls.

“Oh-ho!” he exclaimed as he charged after her. “So you want to fight dirty, huh?”

He chased her though the courtyard as she weaved around several of the frosty willow trees and pools. He had almost caught up to her when he lost his footing, crashing into the snow. He quickly scooped up a ball of snow and launched it at the fleeing princess. She shrilled gleefully as the snowball made contact with her back, exploding into a cloud of powder. She quickly made her own projectile and launched it in Gale's direction.

Their training grond quickly turned into a snowy battlefield, snowballs flying every which way. The cold night air felt sharp to inhale at first, but within a few moments, she didn't even notice it anymore. That her breath suddenly ceased to come out in puffs of white vapor went unnoticed as well.

Serenity’s aim with a snowball was proving to be as deadly as when she was bending water spheres. Within a few moments, she had him cornered. Serenity scooped up a larger snowball and threw it with all her might. Gale dove behind a tree trunk in an attempt to escape the ice orb. Out of habit, Serenity made the quick motion to bend the giant ball as if it was one of her water spheres.

To their surprise, the snowball curved around the tree to meet its target. Serenity froze in her tracks and stared at her hands.

Did I just bend snow?