Heya Draeyers! I hope you enjoy the updateS!

Before that though, I would like to thank Abby (aka PaulineForgie) for the wonderful surprise! I AM ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THE NEW COVERS FOR THIS SERIES! AMAZING WORKS. You guys should really check out her graphics book, her covers and banners are AWESOME. Not only that, she has talent in writing too. Gold and Fayer are two among the many stories I'm awaiting updates for. You should check it out.

Back to the story! :)

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Icefall Academy-Ferrin Lake
Arktis Skyland
Northern Space

"Participants for Water Conqueror please stand on the platform and prepare. The event will start in 10 minutes," the cheerful male voice rang throughout the area through the red sound-crimas.

By the time the announcement was finished, Alec was halfway to the wooden stage set in front of the lake. Gravis and Gael were on either side of him while he walked and climbed the two steps to the platform. He stood on the black circle which was marked for Draeyer Academy. To his left and right, the other two participants already stood with their own professors with them. Lord Cyanz represented his school, while a black skinned girl who looked no more than 15 stood on the circle for Parythian Academy.

"Swimming is the quickest way to cross the distance, but of course its tiring, so don't be afraid to rest on top of a floating ice every now and then," Gael said.

"Watch your opponents. That young lord is no weakling and that 14 year-old girl isn't a student of Parythian for no reason at all. She may be the youngest in the Sky Games but still keep an eye on her," Gravis said.

Alec felt a tug at his stomach and he knew what it was. He wasn't the best swimmer, River was. However, the reason he was chosen to participate this event was because of his immunity to the cold. The best method to use was to swim, and he was the only one capable of doing it in the harsh climate of Arktis. Still, he felt nervous.

A slap on his back snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned and glared at Gravis who had his only arm raised to slap his back again. "Just think of winning. Nothing else," the giant man said. "Now take your heavy clothes off."

"Easy for you to say," Alec mumbled. With a sigh, he shrugged out of his black jacket, leaving him in his long-sleeved wool shirt. He took the shirt off as well, until his black tank top was left which allowed him to feel the cold wind caress his muscled arms and neck. He stepped out of his boots and his feet connected with the frost covering the hard wood. He could feel the cold, but it didn't bother him in the least. Since the trousers he wore were the one given to him for the event, he thanked Kosmos he didn't have to take it off too.

Whispers erupted once more, and he didn't need Solana's power to know that it was about him. He sighed and his shoulders slumped forward.

"Congratulations, you successfully attracted attention to yourself once more," Gael grinned.

"Shut up."

Scanning his gaze over the area, he saw the stone structure protruding a couple of feet on the water. It was about a hundred meters away from where he stood. The structure was covered in jutting stones and wood, which would allow anyone to climb it with some effort. He only needed to be the first one to raise their black flag on top of the structure and they would win.

"Here," Gravis said. He shoved the crima on Alec's palm right before the announcer told all the professors to return to their seats. Alec looked down at the object before taking hold of the string attached to the concave crystal. He pulled it over his head and the string held the crystal so it covered his nose and mouth.

"Welcome everyone!" the voice shouted. "Our first event, Water Conqueror will be a race to reach the Tower of Ferrin and wave the flag of their respected schools. For the delegates' safety, Ryders and healers are on standby on their boats..." Alec zoned out after that, having memorized the rules already after Gael forced him too. The Flame couldn't be used, just the Sentiral Power. They were also allowed to carry with them only one item and his was strapped to his mouth and nose. "Let's get this started!"

The crowd yelled in excitement and Alec stepped forward including the other two participants. He forced himself to focus on the water for now. He could worry about the two later.

At the sound of a loud boom, he dashed across the platform to the water. The moment the cold liquid reached his waist, he activated the crima around his mouth. With not much thought, he streamlined across the surface before his arms stroked the water. His arms alternated; one rose out of the water while the fell and vice versa. His feet moved in fluttering kicks to the movement of his arms. It was the same style Gael taught him. He wasn't comfortable with it at all but it was the fastest way.

A few minutes passed and he stopped and held on to a floating chunk of ice. He looked back to the other participants to find that they were closer than he thought they would be. The both of them had the same method; use the ice as stepping stones. Cyanz was having little trouble with it, due to the fact that the lake was home ground and he probably practiced a lot. The Parythian student was doing quite well on her own, maintaining perfect balance as she hopped on the ice. Whenever she wobbled, she raised her arms and she would still. On the banks, people gathered, few using light-crimas to snap images.

Alec literally shook himself out from watching and decided to push on. However, he froze on his spot― not because of the cold though. A black figure dashed from under him and his gaze followed it. He sunk down to into the water to get a better look of what it was. From his spot, it was nothing but a blob of black.

A familiar feeling rose to his chest and he pushed to the surface, grasping the same ice from earlier. The pain from his chest went to the scars on his back and he gritted his teeth to keep in the screams. He waited and took less than five minutes until the pain ebbed away.

Beuen you bloody Eimion, where are you? he thought. A vibration spread through the water, creating ripples on the surface. The waves grew in size until it slapped rather painfully at his back. A shriek loud enough to bleed his ears rang throughout the area. Even with the slight ringing in his ears, he heard the groans and cries from the distance and he assumed it came from the audience.

His eyes went back to the block blob he spotted earlier and found it closing in on the girl. Drae's shit, he thought. When that black blob appeared earlier, the feeling of pain on his chest and scars came. He could only think of one creature that could cause him that kind of pain. He swam back and followed the direction of the mysterious blob, going as fast as he can.

For a moment, he remained suspended in the water with bubbles rising from the crima he used for breathing and his arms treaded water with sluggish movements. His eyes opened as best he could and he whirled trying to spot where the blob had disappeared to.

Before he could blink, a force struck his back. He was sent across the water, pushing with little effort through lake's pressure. A large chunk of ice stopped his momentum and certain parts of his front body screamed in pain from the impact. Even so, he ignored the ache and rose to the surface. He took a sharp intake of breath when a face met his line of sight instead of the sky. Russet eyes framed by long lashes stared at him while wide in surprise. He pushed back from the ice and he got a good look of their owner. It was the girl from Parythian Academy. Judging by her prone position on the ice's flat, but rough, surface Alec assumed that she lost her balance when he collided with it a few moments before.

He shook his head so hard it would've fallen off, and his pale blue eyes resumed searching for the black splotch. It didn't take long to realize that the blob―whatever it was― struck him. Damn this game, I need to tell Gael, Alec said.

His attention went back to the girl to find her now sitting on the frost, looking at him with knitted brows. Alec met her gaze before remembering that he had something important to do. Diving back to the water, he swam for the opposite direction of what he was supposed to be taking. Before he could go far, a splash came from behind him and he turned to spot rising bubbles. He soon caught sight of arms and legs flailing, until his gaze trailed to the black object wrapped around the person's waist.

Without putting much thought into it, he surged forward and brought his fists down on his target. The moment he felt the familiar texture, he knew that it was the rough skin belonging to a plant.

His blue Flame lighted from his palm, looking like a mere ball of light instead of its usual form. The blue energy crawled over the dark green vine, leaving frost in its wake. In the process it froze the water around it as well. The same shriek he heard earlier traveled through the water and his face contorted from its loudness. He smashed through the thinnest frozen area before his arms replaced the plant around the girl's waist.

He swam up and they burst through the surface. The girl was so light he could barely feel her weight, even as he lifted her on top of a nearby ice. It was not the best place to leave her shivering form, but they were too far from land for him to keep an eye out for the mysterious creature at the same time. He grasped the girl's shoulders as he took his breathing apparatus off. He looked at her dead in the eye.

"Get help," he said. "Something is in the water and it's not going to be safe for anyone to be near―"

Water filled his mouth as he was tugged down. Large bubbles left his mouth before he put the crima back on his face. He inhaled large amounts of air to regain what he lost before his mind focused on the vine wrapped around his leg. He kicked and swam to break free from the hold before he eventually decided to freeze it once more. Once he attained freedom, more vines shot up from the dark depths of Ferrin Lake. He would twirl then veer from left to right as his attempt to dodge the lashing vines and swim away. He needed to get to land. Water was not his strong point.

His plan was shattered when he saw it. The creature was literally a big blob of sticky liquid. However, it was a dark green in color instead of black like he initially thought. He pushed himself away from it when he saw large violet eyes staring at him. When the eyes opened to their full size, vines shot out from the glutinous blob and wiggled around like snakes. Like he assumed, the menacing cries he heard earlier came from none other than the creature's mouth less form.

It was not safe indeed.