The Flaming Ice

Chapter 11: Revelation

We wake up the next day to go to Tribe fighter lessons, and this time Aqua is much more enthusiastic than recent lessons. When we meet up with Cryptic Abyss, the princess asks if we could do something with their waterbreaths today, informing our trainer that I had begun my training with Wisdom yesterday and successfully used my waterbreath. The purple-and-pink scaled dragonette gives a rare pleased smile at me and she nods.

"Of course, Princess Aqua," she agrees, and she looks at me with interest in her dark gray eyes. "I will be honored to assist Wisdom with training you to use your waterbreath."

I smile back at her.

Before long, River approaches the group, and with him being the last one to arrive, Cryptic Abyss begins our lesson. I make eye contact with him for a moment and mimic his shrug of a wing as a silent hello then quickly glance at Aqua beside me to see if she noticed our exchange or not. Thankfully, she seems focused on Cryptic Abyss's words. I turn my attention to them too.

"Per request of Princess Aqua herself," the dragonette is saying, "our lesson today will consist of your waterbreaths."

Coral perks up at that. "But I thought Zoey doesn't have her waterbreath yet?" The red-and-orange dragonette looks over at me, bemused.

"She does now," Cryptic Abyss explains firmly, "and she needs all the practice she can get with it."

I have a feeling she's talking about how I am prophesied to end the war.

She goes on, changing the subject. "Now, enough chitchat. Today will be a drill to help you master your aim when using your waterbreath. You may use any variety of your waterbreath for this, and you will go one at a time. Form a line over there."

As the group walks over to where Cryptic Abyss points to with her tail, I end up behind Leaf and in front of Aqua. Coral is last, and River is first. We watch as Cryptic Abyss rises into the air, her wings flapping. She explains to us, "You are to hit me with your waterbreath as I fly around. Ideally you should try to keep your waterbreath on me as long as you can as I move, but you can also use your waterbreath separately and hit me multiple times. I will tell you when to stop and go to the back of the line." As she finishes speaking, she begins flying around above us in no particular pattern.

Up front, I watch as River focuses on Cryptic Abyss, following her with his eyes. Eventually, he takes a deep breath, and out comes his waterbreath. It is not a simple surge of water, however; it is multiple strands twisting together, kind of like a thick water-braid. It makes impact with Cryptic Abyss, who does not so much as move against the pressure. River successfully keeps the waterbreath on her as the dragonette flies casually around. She doesn't look like she's getting hurt at all.

I look back at Aqua behind me and whisper, "Does it not hurt her?"

Aqua shakes her head. "The most a waterbreath against a water dragon does is push them back depending on how much pressure it has. It is most effective against fire dragons, since water easily downs fire. Its also effective against ice dragons, but not as much."

I nod once in understanding, taking in the new information. "Then I'm guessing that firebreath is most effective against ice dragons, and icebreath is most effective against water dragons?"

Aqua smiles happily. "That's right! Dragonspirit made it that way to keep the Tribes balanced. It -"

"Zoey!" called Cryptic Abyss overhead. "Are you going to join us in today's lesson or not?"

I turn around to see that I am in the front of the line now; Leaf must have gone while I was talking to Aqua.

"Sorry," I apologize, embarrassed. The whole reason why we're doing this for our lesson today is because I finally have my own waterbreath. I should be paying more attention.