Kaza stood beside the lake, next to her teacher, Icerose, practicing her magic. Her skin was pale, though she was strong from years of learning herHydromancy, magic,a whichstrangely requiredartful thatmagic shewhich-needless beto strongsay-was andbased entirely around limber.maipulating water. She was very good at it, although, today she wasn't her best.

"Is there something on your mind, Kaza?" asked Icerose.

"Yes, actually." replied Kaza. "A year ago today Eseth went back to the Fire-Fields."

"Oh, that fire girl. You were very good friends with her, were you not? I remember her coming to your lessons a few times."

"Yes. I wish I could see her, or at least send a message..."

"This is the year you leave, yes? In three months time you will be eighteen, and able to travel the world as you see fit."

"Yes..."

"You will be able to see her then. And you will be a great master at the Art." said Icerose,Icerose cheerfully, referring to their water magic,Hydromancy, which theyshe called the Art.

"Yes, Icerose, I suppose I will. But I hate to wait that long."

"We all hate to wait, daughter. Now, we have a lesson to continue..."

Kaza smiled and held her hands out over the water, then pulling them sharply back to her sides. The water followed her hands, and she raised her arms up over her head, forming long, shimmering ribbons of water which followed her every move.

She moved fluidly with the water as it danced and attempted to fall from her grip. For a moment, she felt like she was the water, perfectly united with it.

Then she lost her grip on the water, and it splashed on the ground.

Kaza sighed, and tried the move again.


***
"Eseth! Pay attention!" snapped Ironflame. "You are distant today!"

"My apologies, Ironflame." replied Eseth. "I was thinking of..no, no, it does not matter."

"No, it most certainly does not, not at this time. After the lesson, but not now."

Eseth continued to practice her magic, called by many the Dragon'sPyromancy. Path. She was Strongstrong and fit, her dark skin clear and healthy. Her vicious temper she calmed by walking the Dragon's Path, or, in other words, using her magic.

The move she was doing was particularly complex. She held her hand out, concentrating so a small flame appeared in her palm. She stared at it, making it grow larger and larger, until it engulfed her entire hand.

The flames turned blue, and she smiled, before whipping her arm around in a circle, and letting the flame go.

It was a sphere at first, but as she turned and twisted, it elongated and thinned to form a rope of fire that swirled around her, slowly cooling to red instead of blue.

She was caught in the fire, which was so beautiful as it darted around her, leaving spots in front of her eyes.

All of a sudden, she lost her tight control, and the flames went out. Eseth groaned, and Ironflame commanded her to do it again.

***

"Aargh!" Kaza yelled as she pulled the brush through her long, tangled hair.

"Something wrong, Kaza?" asked Nahzeem as she peered around the door.

"No, just my stupid hair being stupid again." Kaza spun to face her sister. "I mean, look at it! It's white, which makes half the tribe mistake me for some old woman from the back, it's tangly, which means I have to spend about three hours a day on it, and I can't cut it shorter till after my birthday, and if Mother and Father have planned some stupid surprise wedding for me, I won't be able to cut it at all!"

Nahzeem smirked and left the room.

***
Eseth wandered away from the place where she had her lessons with Ironflame, and was immediately attacked by her friend Ashji.

"Ashji, no, get off." said Eseth, breathless under Ashji's rib-cracking hug.

"I haven't seen you all day! I'm so happy your lesson is over!" she cried, ignoring Eseth's pant-ridden command to stop hugging her. Ashji was one year older than Eseth, making her almost nineteen. Despite her age she acted much less mature than Eseth preferring playing with her to lessons from her teacher. Ashji had no magic, and was thuroughly bored with her school.

"It was just for a day..." Eseth said, Ashji having let go of her.

"I know!" Ashji grinned at her and replied "D'you want to go the the Falls of Molten Flame today?"

"Sure, I guess."

***