Academy of Elements: Earth

Chapter 5: Duel of Roses

My powers scream with anticipation. Brennen and I run to opposite sides of the arena, Haley staying put. Luckily for us none of the Elements they possessed were very defensive; unfortunately, though Fire can melt Ice, and Lightning can use Water to its advantage, but Haley's power was strong against theirs.

My heart beats as the Fire boy rushes at me. We exchange blasts, bursts of orange and light blue flashing. I take a glance at Brennen. Lightning zaps through his water and he falls to the ground. Haley creates a wall of earth to block him from a lightning blast. I fly through the air immense heat burning my skin. I roll to the ground. Haley builds me a wall and I put my back to it, sending coolness to my burn.

I peak from it blasting a ray of ice at him. "Forty-three," I yell. Eyes from the audience stare in confusion. The wall blasts at the fire boy pushing him over. A cloud of dust fills the air. Despite my sight, I send blasts of Ice at the place where he would stand. He's down for five seconds before he gets up. He walks from the arena into a box as a large ding and the face of him on a screen hanging from the ceiling dims out. Blasts of Lightning fire at me unexpectedly. I look to see the Lightning kid sending bolts at me. I duck behind a chunk of rock. Ice hits me in the head. I roll to the ground.

John. With the small amount of dust it was impossible to tell that it wasn't me sending the blast, so my defense, Haley, was useless for now. "Thirty-one."

Water whips around me pulling me from the dust. I land beside Brennen and send repeated blast of ice at the Lightning kid. He falls. Water wraps around the Lightning kid from Brennen. Dumb... Lightning flashes through the water and Brennen's water falls to the ground. A referee runs from the side and fetches Brennen who is unconscious. I freeze the water on the floor and shatter it. Ice shards fly throughout the arena. Gasps ring out as they hurtle into John and a ring of "boos" ring out as he falls. Haley advances on John whilst I focus my shards on the Lightning kid. A shard hits him in the hand and Lightning zaps out of control. One flies towards Haley. I create a blockade for her but it shatters as I am kicked from my feet. The lightning guy advances on me. He runs at me but I roll out of the way standing. My chest hurts and heaves as I stand. Lightning flies past and Ice slams into my back. I fall to the ground in front of Nora, she watches from the stands in the front row chewing her lip. I put my hands on the ground and blast from it. I fly through the air slamming into the Lightning kid. Sparks erupt from him but I slash him with ice. Ice crawls over him and I turn to see Haley fly into the wall. She stands and sends a train of flying rock at John. The rocks hit home but John recovers quickly. He puts his hands together and ice billows from his hands into Haley. Haley falls limp. Just John and I remain as Haley and my old attacker is pulled from the fight. I remember the first time we dueled:

I stepped out, the sun blinding me momentarily. Quickly, as Mrs. Nicole cried "Go" I ran forward. Before John could attack I sent a wall of Ice up creating somewhere I could hide. John sent blasted Ice at the wall cracking it slightly. I ran from the wall, creating another one as John sent a blast at me. John ran towards the wall dodging my blasts. He sent a ball of Ice at me sending me flying back. I was only two feet from the wall. John sent another blast at me but I dodged it easily. I ran at John, dodging blasts. He punched me in the face sending blood flying onto the ground. John kicked me in the stomach sending me wincing in pain. John pinned my arms down.

"One!" The crowd chanted. "Two!" I closed my eyes. I refused to lose to John. Energy rushed through me. A blast came from me sending John spiraling back into the wall. Gasps came from the crowd as medics ran into the arena picking John up onto a stretcher.

"Jaxon Hill is the winner!" Nicole announced. My door opened and I ran off.

John was an excellent dueler. Ice blasts from him as he runs. I twist to his right sending a blast at him. We were equally matched, my power use, and his combat training. I dodge a swing of his arm but he kicks me in the face. Ice sends me to fly back into the wall. I sending a slash at him sweeping across the ground. He jumps over the attack and rolls ice spirals fly at me multiple. I blast up a wall blocking them. I shatter it and send it flying at John. As he would expect. At the last moment, I shatter the shards and the create a sprinkle of diamond.