Aquaica: The Last Aquaian (Teaser)

Chapter 1: Growing Up

A tall and rather bony figure stood in the corner, observing a small class of young dancers. She held her head with dignity, and her white hair was kept in a perfect bun, not a single strand out of place. Though her skin was beginning to show the signs of old age, her white hair was not a byproduct of time. The class was uniformly dressed in blue and black. The young ladies wore high silted skirts, with black leggings underneath to allow for proper movement, while the young men wore loose fitted tunics and similar black leggings. The outfits were very plain, as this was just a rehearsal. The group ranged from youths, to young children, and they were all dancing in a shallow pool – about ankle deep. As they moved in sync, the water began to shape shift around them into spiraling ribbons of water, complementing the dancer's movements as they performed. The woman's piercing steel-blue eyes fell upon one of her younger dancers who was a bit wobbly from an improper balance. She cleared her voice and the entire class halted, the water dropping back into the pool and rippling the surface roughly.

"Serenity, you must concentrate on your foot placement," she admonished, stepping into the pool and correcting the angle of the young girl's left foot." Remember, form is just as important in dancing, as it is in water bending. An improper form is not only unprofessional, but can also throw off your performance. If you want to be a great water dancer like your mother was, you need to strive for perfection."

The small girl's sky blue eyes gazed down to her distorted reflection in the pool. She looked rather downcast from the Water Dancing Master's correction. She let out a soft sigh, and replied in a melancholy tone, "Yes, Madam Rythme."

"Now, everyone back to starting positions! We will rehearse until we get this sequence right," Rythme stepped out of the pool, her arms folded behind her back. "Serenity, reset the pool please."

Serenity let out another sigh and obediently raised a hand before her. She closed her eyes, and the water instantly stopped thrashing about, the surface smoothing out until it was as even-textured as a looking glass.

Satisfied, Rythme began to count out loud, "And... one, two three. One, two three. One, two three... Geli, I want to see you bend your water arches higher. Poisous, you are out of sync again."

The lesson went on for another hour before another young figure entered the room - whom Rythme didn't acknowledge. She looked a few years older than Serenity, and was more curvaceous and slightly brawnier than of any of the dancers, who were lean and wiry. The girl even held herself differently than they did, her posture much more rigid and militaristic. She quietly sat down in the corner and waited for the session to finish.

"Alright, you're all dismissed," Rythme announced after they completed the sequence they had been working on all day.

Serenity quickly jumped out of the pool and grabbed her satchel that sat against the wall, "Orana! I wasn't expecting you to be here. Where's Llyrus?"

"Azul called him and his royal guard to an important meeting, so he asked me to escort you home," she replied.

"Well let me change out of these wet slippers first," Serenity said sitting down and pulling a dry pair out of her bag.

"Serenity," Rythme's voice cracked sternly, "I would like to speak to you before you go."

"Y-yes Madam Rythme?"

The strict water dancing master's face seemed to soften slightly before continuing. "Serenity, do you know why it is that I am so hard on you?"

Her eyes shifted to her feet again. "Because I am not very good."

"No child, it is quite the opposite. It's because I see real potential in you."

"Really? But I am always messing up somehow," Serenity said in surprise.