After their training was done, the water dragon students were instructed to return back to the academy. Mariji, riding on her blue water dragon, watched from behind as the students rode away.

  Recalling how the training went and how so many of them were sent flying out of the water by powerful wave along with the waters current. Letting out a deep sigh before thinking to herself, those poor little ones, they done what’s coming. *Sigh*, perhaps it was their fault for thinking the battle was over and the war won. They could have trained and prepared them for what was to come but...recalling how the state of world after her passing. Everything felt still, cold, and stagnant, and after a great of a loss as losing their protector, the entire world desperately wanted to believe that worst was over and yet....With flashes from the attack of the academy filling her mind Mariji couldn’t help but feel sense of dread and despair wash over her. Being one of the teachers in the frontlines doing the battle and having witness the unbelievable might the dark dragon warriors possessed despite the fact their master was gone. Then there was the supposed son of Ibierana, David, the one who was supposedly her son and the next Golden Dragon Warrior. Recalling the immense and raw power he possessed, having witness the power first hand for herself and found it hard to believe that he was meant to be her son, recalling the savage look in eyes as they glowed with a fierce violet hue along with the fury and might of his power, his control and hold over the four elements seemed absolute, commanding them all with so much fury that it felt as though he had become an overwhelming force of nature. And along with that, Mariji could all so sense something chaotic within him, like with waves clashing against one another underneath a raging storm, raw, untameable power and fury, it was a power that reminded her of....

  A young girl about nineteen sat on her blue water dragon along with the rest of her people, watching as their city and home, sank down to the depth of the deep blue before shifting her gaze towards the sounds of raising water as an ominous shadow looming over them all

  Floating over the water the city stood, it’s bottom made of hard wood and timber that floated on the water’s surface keeping the entire city afloat, a sea vessel on like any other, home the nomadic water dragon warriors, drifters who were known to roam about through the open waters, following its wave, flow, and current to wherever it choose to carry them. They were simple sea folk who lived their lives like the vast waters their city sat upon, constantly move and following the current to wherever they maybe. Blissful and carefree, it mattered not where they found themselves, as long as the waters flowed they would follow. But one day they found them consumed by very waters they follow....

  With a massive boom and then bang, water burst out from underneath, breaking through the wooden beams that keeping the entire city afloat. Everyone then began to panic, running and dart manically through the city as water continued gushing out of the below. They then heard then the dragon’s roar, that’s when they appeared.

  Flying out of the water gushing out of the holes on floor, the dark water dragon warriors, controlling the waters as they gushed out and using it to weeping and flood most of the city. Most of the people were caught within the powerful waves and strong currents produced by the rushing water but a few managed to summon their water dragon and fly away before the water could reach them.

  But simply taking refuge in the skies above wouldn’t be enough to escape the carnage that was busy weeping through their beloved home. Blazing balls of flames and massive boulders rained down from the skies above along with raging winds that blew, blasted, or knocked them out of the sky as they tried to flee from the other dark dragon warriors that seemingly appeared of nowhere riding on the backs of their dragon.

  The girl seeing the madness, chaos, and carnage that had befallen her looked on in horror and dread as she rode away on her dragon, her home falling in to ruins. Her eyes then began fill up with tears, begging and praying to the heavens above for some kind of a miracle of some kind or a saviour to protect both her home and people from the chaotic carnage and destruction that had befallen it.

  The girl, along with a few others, managed to make it high up in the sky on their dragons away from the carnage and destruction on their beloved city down only to have with eyes filled with pain and sadness as her home began to sink down to the watery depth. And, just when it seemed as though they had lost it and could lose no more, a roar ferocious roar of a dragon unlike any she had ever heard before echoed through the opened skies. Then, as though the roar was some kind of signal, the dark dragon warrior, ceased their attack on the city and half sunk and barely are afloat.

  The girl along with those that remained looked down at the half sunken city below, a small glimmer of hope in their eyes, thinking that all was not and even if it was just barely, their home still sat afloat on the water. But that little bit of hope didn’t last long, as the sounds of roaring wave was heard mere moments later and then a massive shadow was cast upon. The girl though hesitant to look, slowly turned shifted her gaze to towards the casted shadow and sounds of roaring waves, only for her eyes to widen with shock and terror a the massive wave, the size of a mountain head straight for them and their city. Raising her fearful gaze up, she noticed a figure mounted on top of a fierce dark dragon, with what looked like the arm of dragon stretched out to them and piercing violet dragon eyes.

  The girl and her people tried to flee, flying away on their dragons as fast as they could in other to escape the incoming wave but the wave was too fast and they were eventually wept up by it. The very next thing the girl could recall was being dragged, thrashed, and carried around by the chaotic force of the wave as it crashed in to the city. After that, she recalled weakly opening her eyes, finding herself lying on the surface of the water alongside those that managed survived. Their home along with so many, gone, buried underneath waters depth.

  Mariji let out a deep sigh, recalling all the events that happened during that fateful day. She along with the other survives had lost everything that day, their home, their loved ones, all destroyed by that monster. The image of the Dark Dragon Lord looking down at them from his menacing violet eyes just before summoning that massive wave to wipe them, then flashed in her head. He was ruthless and showed no form of hesitation as he gazed at them all from high up at the sky’s peak before sending down that towering colossal wave their wave, wiping away both her home and most of her people.

  Mariji then took a deep before thinking back to David and that monstrous power he displayed during the dark dragon warriors attack on the academy. Just like him, he showed no form of hesitation as he fought against the dark dragon warriors and ruthless with each and every blow he sent their way. Thinking back to that fight and recalling the way David glanced at the dark dragon warriors with that cold gaze filled with nothing rage and hate, she couldn’t help but picture the very same cold gaze from the Dark Dragon Lord as he looked down at them right before he wiped them all out.

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  Mariji then exhaled, letting out a small sigh before raising her head to the horizon and the flock of dragons being ridden by the students flying ahead of her. They were their future, the hope for better days to come, and the thought of them having to go through even a fraction of what she along with all those who had the unfortunate fate of living through the Dark Dragon Warrior’s reign frighten her beyond what words can convey. The dark dragon warriors have made their move, still pursuing and following their wish and commands of their fallen master long after his demise. And now they’ve set their eyes on the academy, on David, the supposed son of Ibierana.

  Mariji honestly wanted to believe with all her heart that boy, David, the son Ibierana could truly be the light to shine the way through the cloud of fear and uncertainty that befell the world after Ibierana passing but at the very same time, she could not unsee what she had witnessed that day in those cold vengeful violet eyes, and was a glimpse of the Dark Dragon Lord.

  Mariji then focused her gaze on her students, fixing her gaze on one person entirely. Susan, the sweet, kind, somewhat reserved girl, recalling the first time she noticed her during her. She was teaching the students on how to control tides from the lake.

  “Don’t try to force it, just go with the flow”, she instructed one of the students who was struggling to maintain control over the flow of the waters tides.

  It took a while but eventually but the student eventually learned how to control the tides. Recalling the look of excite and happiness on his face upon finally mastering how to control the tide still warmed her heart till that very day. She enjoyed teaching young water dragon warrior how to control and master their powers, teaching them that water is not something that should command of forced by something to be guided, flow, and followed, the very principle her people followed. In many ways, teaching those children was her way of keep the spirit of her people alive and it made her love and cherished being a teacher in the academy.

  Her gaze then landed on a single girl that stood apart from the students. Standing alone with casted forth to lake she began pulling and pushing, her hands following the motion of the waters, not trying to fight or go against its flow but follow and guiding it. Mariji just looked at her with a look awe and shock. She seemed so young and yet already seemed to have grasped the secret mastering the power of water. Mariji then noticed something about the girl; she was a look of sadness, pain, and loneliness in her eyes. Mariji then shifted her gaze to the other children and noticed her they all seem to above her with most of them casting quick glances at her before looking away and beginning murmur and whisper about it. It didn’t take too long realize what was wrong and how the other students didn’t want anything to do with her.

  Mariji didn’t know why the other students where avoid her but seeing her, wearing such sad face, decided to approach her.

  “Hey”, Mariji greeted with a smile.

  The girl, slightly startled by Mariji’s call, stopped controlling the waters tides and turned to her and greeted her back with a soft shy voice, “Hello Mrs. Mariji”.

  “What’s you name?” Mariji asked the girl.

  “Su-Susan”, the girl timidly spoke.

  “I’ve been watching. You seem to have a good understanding of the water and how it flows”, said Mariji.

  “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just used to practice a lot with my brother at home before I came to the academy”, said Susan meekly with her voice bowed.

  “Oh brother? You have a brother. Is he a water dragon warrior like you too?” Mariji asked.

  “No he’s...”, Susan paused with her face sinking down deeper in sadness.

  Seeing the sadness look on Susan’s face, it was clear to her that she didn’t like talking about her brother, and so thinking that the topic might be a sensitive one for decided to no question her further though she had a feeling that it had something to do with why the other students were avoiding her.

  “I noticed you practicing all alone. Why don’t you join the others, I can promise you that it would be far more fun than being alone”, said Mariji.

  The Susan turned, shifting her gaze to the other students. Mariji could see it her eyes, the longing and yarning to join them but there pain, hurt, and sadness in those eyes as glanced at them. She looked as though she was scared, scared of approaching them with her brightest and most innocent of smile, offering them a chance to be friends only to be met with their cold gazes and rejection in the end.

  “No, I’m fine on my own”, Susan replied, her voice weak and low almost whisper before shifting her attention back to lake and continued the exercise she along with the other students were instructed by Mariji to do.

  Mariji wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. It girl seemed closed off and sadness, suffering silently in isolation, her face dull, weighed down by all the pain and sorrow she felt from being alone. Mariji, having spent most of her life alone as aimless drifted from place to place after losing her home, looking for somewhere, anywhere where she felt like she belong, looked at Susan, seeing her empty lifeless gaze, could only let out a sigh as watched her control the tides, knowing the hurt and immense pain that dwelled within her heart.

  Mariji didn’t like seeing a young and promising student wearing such a sad and miserable face and she tried to get her the other students to get along even going as far as making them all pair up with each other during her lessons. But all the students were reluctant to pair up with her and those that did made sure to keep their distance away, and after the lesson was over, they would quick rush away from her side. And Susan who seemed to have already gotten used to it would just smile weakly as she watched them leave her all alone as soon as the lesson was over.

  Mariji eventually found out why Susan was feared so much among the fact that she was also the daughter of Marina, General of water of the Golden Dragon Guard, which explained her seemingly natural talent to control water along with Steven’s reputation, the sole reason why all the other students of the academy where so afraid of her. But despite knowing this, could not seem to sway the minds of the students and make them more open towards Susan. They all still chose to stay away from her out of fear of what her brother may if they dared to approach her.

  *Sigh* It seemed as though her hands were tied, she couldn’t force them to accept or befriend Susan and they were too frightened and scared of her brother to even talk to the girl. Looking at her as she spent another day practicing alone by the lake wearing the very same look of sadness on her face, Mariji wondered if she would ever see a smile on her face. Then one day, during one of her training sessions with class she saw it, a warm and genuine smile on her face, a sight that both shocked and warmed her heart at the very same time. Her face was no longer bowed down and was bright and brimming with joy. She seemed, for the very first time she had known her, happy and when she asked what happened, she told her that she had managed to make a friend named Flora.

  Mariji upon hearing the news was beyond happy for her and was thankful that at the very least she had one friend.

  *Sigh*, Mariji, glancing at Susan, seeing the determined look on her face, a look filled fear and the unwillingness to lose something. Recalling how she, Akiri, Flora, and even Steven, the very brother with the infamous reputation, all risked their lives and went after the dark dragon warriors to save David.

  She already knew of her two friends, Flora and Akiri, and she was also aware that she was close with David. Susan had been through a lot and had enduring so much in isolation from her fellow students, now her friends she could call her, and Mariji was happy for her but at the very same time, recalling the sinister look in David’s eyes as they shone furiously with a violet hue, she couldn’t help be worried and afraid, fearing that one day she may just lose the very friends she loved the most.

  Mariji then let out a breath with her eyes still fixed on Susan, praying to the heavens above to give her the strength to face what was coming, hoping she would be ready for the coming trials.