The Flaming Ice

Chapter 18: Last Lesson Fun

When I push through the vines overhanging the threshold, I see Wisdom sitting at the edge of the Sacred Water on the opposite side of the quarter. He looks up nonchalantly as I take the few steps forward to stand across from him; his green eyes turn a sea-green from the reflection of the water coming up under him.

"Hello, Zoey," he greets formally.

"Good morning," I return happily, eager to start the day's lesson. "What are you going to teach me today?"

"Nothing."

The reply catches me so off guard that it takes me an entire three seconds to fully register just the single word.

"Wh... what?"

Wisdom thankfully gives me a more satisfying answer this time. "After watching you spar with the other novice Tribe fighters yesterday, I saw how skilled you've become with both fighting and using your waterbreath. You used a good combination of both to give you the best advantage."

Shocked at this unexpected compliment, my jaws gape for a moment before I force out a surprised "Thank you."

The elder dragon smiles as he continues, "So I thought for today's lesson I could take it upon myself to truly see how ready you are to receive your share of wisdom. I want to spar you."

My first reaction is shock. I had never expected to full-on spar Wisdom since I started taking lessons from him, as in actually fighting and not just using our waterbreaths. My second reaction is excitement. This allows me to show Wisdom firsthand all that I've learned from him and Cryptic Abyss in fighting, and maybe even some things from Aqua, too. Then my final reaction is nervousness, my stomach gripping at the thought of sparring the Dragon Council member. How will I match up against a dragon as legendary as him? What will he think of me after the spar's finished? Would it lower his hopes in me if I do bad, or not as well as he's expecting?

"Come," Wisdom resumes without my opinion. He begins to skirt the small pool to lead the way out of his quarter. "Let's not waste any time, shall we?"

Absently, and still reeling in my thoughts, I follow.

We seem to attract several dragons' attention right when we walk out of the tunnel leading to the quarter, and the continuous rumbling of chatter gradually softens to murmurs as they, I assume, talk about Wisdom and me. I can understand their surprise; Wisdom and I have never had our lessons outside of his quarter before, and I'm sure they know my schedule of novice Tribe fighter lessons one day and waterbreath lessons the next. As we walk toward the Entrance Tunnel, the water dragons part so we can pass without hindrance, and several of them dip their heads or spread their wings out as signs of respect. I want to say that they are only doing that because Wisdom is in their midst, but what I have recently learned, they must be doing it for me, as well. Quickly I try to scan the crowd for a sign of Aqua, but then I realize that she must still be sleeping in her quarter after I fail to pick out her light-purple armor among the colorful mass. Eventually, Wisdom and I reach the Entrance Tunnel and climb up it, leaving the Tribe behind to return to their normal routines.

After walking in silence in the dimness, Wisdom's voice rumbles beside me.

"You're not used to being treated like that, are you?"

I sigh out a puff of laughter. "Not at all. Where I come from, in my other life, I'm kind of used to not many people paying attention to me. I was one of the quiet kids in my school. I didn't do any sports, never auditioned for any musicals or anything. I was in art club for awhile at my new school, but then..."

I stop myself not only because I didn't want to finish the sentence, but also because of my random recollection of my human life - my other life, I called it. For a moment I wonder what's going on there - how much time has passed? Did I die in my sleep and am trapped here now? How are my parents? They must be devastated. They already lost one daughter, and now what's happening to the other?