Elemental Mazes

Elemental Mazes Excerpt:
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“Master Marcus Aurclius Marci f. Cornelius n. tribu Galeria Scipio Pius, we ask you to name the students chosen from The Arebba Magical Institute!”

Once again the hand spun and went straight and when the palm opened and flattened the ball of light was a daisy yellow, and the first name was shot in the air. “William Williams, Air.’ A boy from the seventh year table stood up. He had grey hair and his smile reminded Katy of a villain in the comic books she collected, she shivered as she saw his acid green eyes. This was one that needed to be taken out of the equation as soon as possible, before he took them out.

            The next name was ‘Rebecca Jones, Spirit.’ Katy looked at the girl with spiked rainbow hair, punk style clothes and thought this girl was who know who she was and Katy envied her. Katy looked at her silver eyes to find herself reflected back. The girl gave her a sad smile as if she know Katy wore a mask. That Katy put her true self on a shelf in the farthest parts of her mind, that she was losing her mind and herself. Katy was going to turn away when the girl mouthed ‘It’s okay to not be okay. Be yourself and life will fall into place.’ Katy stared but mouthed ‘Thank you.’ But Katy knew she needed her mask, needed to hide at least half of herself. Katy blinked and pushed the envy down and the tears back and turned back towards the creepy hand. After all nobody could see the cracks behind her façade and mask.

            The next name called was ‘Jonathan Miller, Fire.’ An eighth year boy stood up and made his way to the front. He had a swimmers build. Shockingly he looked like he spent most of his time in the water. Fire elementals tend to hate cold and water sports because their element flows through them. His eyes looked like orange flames on open water and his hair was a sun burnt ginger. Katy smirked and sent a thought to Gaivan. ‘Great a soulless competitor. Wonder how many souls he will eat.’

            Gaivan laughed. ‘Bad stereotype Katy. I am sure he is a great guy.’

            ‘Eh, either way the ginger is going down.’ Katy turned her mind back the ceremony.

            ‘Jacklyn Smith, Earth.’ The sixth year girl with mousy brown hair stood up and made her way to the front. Every muscle tense. Katy lifted an eyebrow. ‘Why put your name in if you feared it?’ It wasn’t fake, Katy knew fear well enough to tell if it was faked. Gaivan answered her unasked question.

            “The Smiths from Areeba are big in the Mazes. Every time it has come up a Smith must be in it. Both her parents missed it but both sets of grandparents were in the tournament. I wouldn’t be shocked if she was only in it because of that.”

            Katy looked at the small girl, she was fourteen and in a tournament she felt obligated to be in; Katy hoped she didn’t get hurt in this, because the fear in those sand diamond colored eyes spoke her true thoughts about being in this tournament.

            Katy turned away from her when the last name for Areeba was called; ‘Stephanie Johnson, Water.’ A tall girl stood from the seventh year table. Her hair was a violet grey that was common among water sirens. Sirens could be of any element luring their prey into volcanos, into tornados or hurricanes, into mountains, even into lightning storms, only the water sirens were in abundance, however, and this girl was one, or least half of one. Katy looked into the siren’s eyes of milky grey that was almost white. Full. A siren was in the tournament. The siren seemed shocked when she saw Katy. Even sirens had a respect for the Ondines. The siren bowed her head slightly. An Ondine relative perhaps? Katy nodded back. The girl then took her place before they were seated by their headmistress.

            Oeric smiled. “There we have the team for the Areeba Magical Institute!” Headmistress Emma Martin stood from her magical seat, magical because Katy was sure there was no way a person could actually sit in that dress, and moved her team to their table, as the hall cheered for them.

            The hall quieted once more and Oeric raised his hands. “Master Marcus Aurelius Marci f. Cornelius n. tribu Galeria Scipio Pius,” and wasn’t that name getting annoying, sometimes traditions seem to be created to annoy people. “We ask you to name the students chosen from Salvador’s School of Fine Magical Arts.” The hand did it’s now so amazing spin and flatten routine, and a ball of snow blue energy formed and called out the first name; ‘Lucas Sosa, Earth.’

            The sixth year stood up and he was tall. He had sepia skin and his eyes were a reddish terra cotta color. He walked with confidence. This person knew his power and knew what he could do. The question was, would that be his downfall?

            The next name was called before Katy could watch Lucas more, something about his magic made him stick out; and she wanted to know why.

            ‘Arthur Ramero, Air.’ The sixth year walked up and took his spot next to Lucas. Arthur chatted with him for a few seconds. Katy saw the white outline of power outline the yellowish color of his aura. It matched his dusty sand colored eyes that had a white pupil instead of black. His hair was also stark white but the tips that glazed his shoulders, those were a deep yellow color.

            ‘Mariana Flores, Spirit.’ Was the next name called and Katy looked to where the ninth year girl stood up from the ninth year table. Her skin was a golden tawny color and her hair was dark amber with sun kissed streaks. Her eyes through held the color of bluish purple lighting. Her power showed in her eyes, it was as if white diamond lightning bolts were shooting through them at a constant rate, much like high static heat lightning. She would go far, Katy was sure of it.

            The next name was shot out of the hand. ‘Camila Ruiz, Fire.’ The seventh year girl stood up and stood out. Her hair was styled in a flame shaped beehive, quite eccentric, it started out at the bottom red and then going into oranges and then yellows and then lightest of blues, and the tip was white, much like a reversed flame. Her eyes were orchre color with more red in the undertones. She was proud of her element and wasn’t afraid to show it.

            “She isn’t afraid to let her Fire Pride roar.” Katy chuckled.

            Gaivan nodded. “Well, you went and got this rainbow hairdo. Though I am glad you didn’t cut it. You would look strange in short hair.”

            “Yeah, I was going to but I have always had long hair. Maybe I should have done something like that.” She stated.

            “No! I mean, the rainbow is cool, but that is a lot of bleaching and dying and it would ruin your hair. I heard mom talk about it.” Gaivan shrugged it off.

            Katy gave him a look but turned back to the front, as Gaivan berated himself in his head. ‘Smart one Gaivan. Why don’t you just confess your feelings. You are only thirteen for goodness sakes.’

            The next and last name for Salvador’s was called; ‘Rafael Herrera, Water.’  The eighth year boy stood up and moved to the front with the rest of his group. He wasn’t the type to pop out at you. But there was a silent danger from him. The type that came out from the shadows before you know what hit you. He was tall, muscled but not bulky, he had crew cut and his eyes were his defining feature, they were white. Pure white. There was not a speck of color in them, even from blood vessels. There was a flow of power crashing like waves around him. And suddenly Salvador’s team felt like the one to beat, even over Cleopatra’s.

            Oeric smiled. “And there we have the team for Salvador’s School of Fine Magical Arts!” With that announcement Headmaster Sebastian Torres danced, and there was no other word for the way he moved, his team over to their table.