Snippets

Snippet Nine - Between Ice and Lightning

The headmaster smiled and said, "Nothing lethal as a serious injury would ruin your futures here anyway. With that... Three... two... One... Go!"

Kiara's sentence finished. The two students did not move an inch for about three seconds before Sebastian held his right hand wide. A swirl of frigid air formed around him as he ran to his right. He swung his arm forward as a handful of icicles launched upward before falling toward Cora.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Cora's hand flexed, jolting sparks around them. In a flash of light, she appeared to the right of the icicles as they collided with the arena's ground. Dust kicked up as she smiled at his attempt, as she brought her hands together before yellow sigils appeared between them. "Gotta stay quick on your feet, Bastion!"

He watched as she ripped her hands apart, shattering the sigils between her hands. Sebastian watched as light appeared beneath his feet. His feet moved quickly as a lightning bolt came from above, missing his torso by inches. "Damn it!"

Sebastian sprinted to his right as, just as quick, they appeared behind him. Lightning struck the ground with each light source. After the third strike, he dove forward and rolled before swiping his arm along the ground. In front of him, ice spread out, covering the dirt beneath him. A smile cracked his lips while he skated along as each strike could not keep up with him.

"You are going to have to try something else!" he yelled out as ice ripped away at the ground with each arm swing to push him forward.

Cora waited and watched him, considering each movement before he spun to skate sideways. Each arm swing forward was a targeted attack. Ice shattered and flew in her general direction. She sparked with lightning, using its power to sidestep every barrage. The ice collided with the ground inches from her until a few shards collided with her.

Her jacket ripped as she dodged each attempt to hit her torso. She watched as he continued to skate around her with a smile plastered on his face. Cora sighs and removes her jacket. The black vest and white long sleeves still lay fresh without tears.

"Cocky little bastard," she said, tossing the jacket to the side.

Cora shook her head as she watched him skate around the arena. She did not turn her whole body; only her head followed him until he moved too far, making her take a wide stance. "Your little icecapades will not save you," she said as the crowd erupted.

Her hands sparked with lightning as she took a step forward. Sebastian knew he had to make a move quickly. He turned his movement towards her and dashed forward. She flipped forward in a flash of light, her whole body sparking before she slammed her hands onto the ground. Streaks of lightning scattered across the ground in Sebastian's direction.

He tried his best to dodge the attack, but it easily split the ground before him before doing the same to his ice. Sebastian flipped forward as the ground around him exploded. His body rolled once. He stood to his feet and created two ice blades, running towards Cora.

"It looks like this will be settled with hand-to-hand combat!"

Cora watched as he telegraphed his attacks. She dodged each strike as the two danced in rhythm to his attacks. Lines of ice spread past her with every slash. "Come on, Bastion. Are you even trying?" she said, trying to get a rise from him.

"Stand still!" he exclaimed in rage.

She knew at that moment her comments got under his skin. Cora continued to dodge before her boots sparked, and her magic flashed as she moved to his side, pulling at his arm. He continued to attack her before his blades were ripped out of his hands, and his body spun.

"What the..." Sebastian echoed as he spun before her while she moved away from him.

Cora smiled and held out his jacket, waving it like a flag in his direction. He looked down, and his black shirt underneath his jacket was the only thing on his torso. His eyes met hers, and he rolled his eyes. "You were just toying with me this whole time?"

"Not the whole time. You ruined my house jacket, so I took yours."

The crowd was laughing as she slipped his jacket over her shoulders. "Looks better on me, doesn't it?" Cora said with a smile.

Sebastian sighed and shook his head. He stepped forward and said, "Well, you might have me on that. The Silver Wolf is obviously the better house, but I took a strategy from your playbook."

Cora tilted her head at his comment before holding his arms wide. The ice he created from his attacks, she so easily danced around, ripped from the ground. The chunks floated all around her as she nodded her head. "I see," she said as her eyes met his own.

"Dodge this!"

Sebastian swung his arms forward as every chunk of ice in the air rocketed towards their target. He was careful not to make any of them lethal as they pierced the ground, dust flying up as each ice collided with the ground. His breath lay heavy as he smiled and waited for the dust to clear.

He stood with his shoulders slumped as the dust continued to settle. A smile came across his face, but quickly faded as he heard a tongue click behind him. Sebastian turned and swung his fist as Cora appeared, and she gripped his fist with an open hand. Sparks flickered from her hand as his body twitched slightly from the voltage coursing through his arm.

"You still have a lot to learn, but you will make a fine assistant for the remainder of the year," Cora said, bringing her other hand to his forehead.

He closed his eyes before her voice echoed within his head. "I win."

Cora released her finger, and her index finger collided with his forehead in a spark of light. The flick caused the crowd to erupt in applause as he fell backwards. She watched as he fell to the ground and grunted from the collision. Her eyes then moved to his attack, as the jacket lay hanging from the ice spikes he had created.

Sebastian stared up at the blue sky above him and sighed. "Damn, she is fast."