WHITE DARKNESS - BLACK MAGIC SAGA - BOOK 1

FIRE AND WATER

“Are they going to have us here all day?” complained Mason in a whine.

Eisdrache shrugged, continuing to play with the small orb of fire he had made with his element. He then split it into two, making them swirl and make figures of different kinds. Each figure made him smirk slightly, playing with them until one made him lost his grin. The shape of a small standing woman on the palm of his hand made his memories go back to a week ago.

When Vaughan had been crying in the girl’s abandoned bathroom. When he had worried about her.

The figure of the girl circled his palm as if she was swimming around it, between his fingers and up his arm to his elbow to then return. Eisdrache’s eyes went into flames before the girl went back to an orb of flames. He then closed his palm, ending with it. Rhazel and Mason were too busy playing with each other and other housemates to notice his distraction.

Today House Vasilka and Faris would be competing against themselves and each other to select ten champions, five from each one, for the Paragon Tournament. It was already 10 o’clock after breakfast and they had been given twenty minutes for practice. The Banquet Hall had been reaccommodated and now had bleachers by the sides and a kind of large platform in the middle. It was rare not training with the whole friend group together. Freya wasn’t there to complain about the lack of organisation, Thea wasn’t saying her usual safety-speech for everyone, Lhu’s laughter wasn’t heard and… Well, who cares about Vaughan. Nobody does. Specially not him. Definitely not him.

Eisdrache’s eyes went to the bleachers, where the whole lot of Vasilka girls were sitting, many of them attentive to the duelling taking place between a girl and a boy from Faris, commenting on it. The others were just chatting and reading magazines. He knew many of them wanted to compete and win even, but they weren’t able to. It was stupid really, however if the rules said they couldn’t compete, then he won’t protest. Less people meant more chances for him to be one of the champions inside the tournament.

He stretched, thinking what would be to win the tournament and be one of the four final champions.

He would be praised.

His father would praise him.

A smile across his face.

Yes, that'd be great.

“That chick’s great,” said Rhazel, getting him out of his thoughts. His eyes then went to the two people who were duelling. They were from House Faris. Rhaz was right, the girl stood her ground and certainly had an incredible ability and affinity with her given element, air. The other boy seemed to be losing against the girl even if his element was fire.

All students whose element was fire or were competing against it, were given a sabre mask to protect themselves from possible injuries the element may cause. When the girl took out her mask, everyone applauded, Eisdrache recognised her as Hope Patrell, a Faris from their year. The other one was a male, one of the Asteria brothers, he recognised.

The jury conformed by Angelice Laverne, Aftan Alexus and Rhine Tauris — a general in charge of training the new army, gave their comments to the girl, very good ones and selected her for the final round inside House Faris. Everyone applauded again and a few minutes of interlude were given to then pass again to Vasilka House.

The duelling rounds had started at 10 AM with ten volunteers then put in pairs, all from House Vasilka. Eisdrache and Mason had been the last standing. Faris house hadn’t had volunteers, but their combats had been a great thing to watch and learn from. Faris was the house of all who came from noble houses whose head was part of the army.

Stouvania was training near were the professors were supposed to have their dinner-table.

Eisdrache was observant with them. They had other ways of training, of moving hands and body. Many of the just used their mind or eyes to command the fire inside them, or any element really. There was this girl, Orya Lukova, he had heard her name, who had the element he had, and he just couldn’t comprehend how she had managed to conjure a whip of fire and control it with her eyes. Eisdrache was advanced in his element, yes, but that girl knew things he needed.

So he said to Mason to call him if something happened and that he would be back in a second, and started walking towards Orya, who was sat next to two girls, one with reddish hair and the other one was a brunette and dark skinned.

Orya, who was in the middle of them, was good looking, he could see. She was straight black hair, white ends. Her skin was tan, and she was tall, not as much as him, but he could speak to her without looking down. It was refreshing for his back, having such short girl friends would be the death of him.

Specially with Vaughan, for gods’ sake, she was so petite and — well, he shouldn’t be thinking about her.

So, clenching his jaw, he continued walking until he was in front of Orya. “Hi,” he said. “I’m Eisdrache Vailant, you’re Orya, right? I heard your name when your professor called you.”

She looked at him, her two friends also did. The dark-skinned smirked at the redhaired. “Yes, I am, d’you need something?” her eyes scrutinizing him up and down, trying to read him. He just remained cool, eyes blocking all intrusion into him.

“A few moments ago you did something with a whip of fire,” he started, eyes fixed on hers. The corner of her mouth twitched. “With your eyes.”

This took her aback and made her raise an eyebrow.

“So you’ve been watching me?” her smirk made his expression bored and ‘really?’ was written all over it. She rolled her eyes playfully. “Don’t be so boring, pretty boy,” she smiled. “Yes I did that with my eyes, something to say?”

“Teach me.”

The three girls looked at each other.

He waited a second, perhaps two in which all of them got out of the shock his words had caused.

Orya licked her lips, eyes on him again. “Meet me outside the chateau when this is over… I’ll see if you’ll be able to handle it.”

Eisdrache narrowed his eyes, stern look on his face. “Fine,” he said before turning and going back to his friends, who were laughing about something with Lorrai Mallgame and Aidan Oakwood. He decided to join them in silence. His eyes then went to the bleachers again, where the rest of the friend group were. Freya was braiding Esmeray’s ashy-blonde hair while Thea talked to them about something, probably gossip. Lhu was playing cards with Jia and Leah, and Vaughan… He frowned.

Where the bloody hell was that witch?

His eyes swept throughout the Banquet Hall; however he didn’t found her anywhere. Being distracted with something he shouldn’t have in mind, he didn’t realise Lhu was standing in front of him, and he jumped startled. “f**k’s sake, Lhu, you almost killed me,” he huffed with a hand on his chest. Lhu just chuckled and hurried to hug him. Even if being distant cousins, they were very close, almost like brother and sister for everything. He hugged her back.

“Just wanted to wish you luck,” she smiled once they separated. “We are all bored up there,” she pouted.

Eisdrache laughed. “I don’t need luck, I’m the luck,” this made Lhu roll her eyes and smack him on the head.

“Anyways, I was going to ask you a favour.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t mess with Leev today,” she said. “Her mother sent her a letter and she has been all irritated today, and with the ‘woman do not duel’ thing she's a bit sensitive. She’s off to our dorm.”

Eisdrache just raised his eyebrows. “That’s my perfect opportunity to take the piss on her.”

Lhu gave him a look that said don’t you even think about it.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he growled. “I won’t mess with her… today,” he clarified. “Because the rest of the days surely I will.”

Lhu scoffed. “You know, sometimes I think you’re in love with her or something.”

Something inside him twitched, jolted and ran.

Hi expression remained blank.

“But I know you don’t stand each other,” she snorted. “Well, I’ll see you later,” and with a kiss on the cheek, she went up the bleachers again to continue playing cards. Eisdrache stood there for a moment, digesting her words.

He… Eisdrache Vailant, in love with Leev— Vaughan?

Ha!

Definitely nope. It was ludicrous, outrageous even, to think he could possibly ever be in love with her. It was stupid. Yes, that. Stupid to even think it could happen.

Lhu was just making fun of him. Yes, that’s right.

Ignoring the voice inside of his mind, trying to escape, he turned around to mingle with his friends. Rhazel and Mason were messing around with their elements until two applauses were heard. All men from Vasilka House started lining up by the sides of the platform.

“Now…” started saying Angelice Laverne, “now that House Faris is all sorted out for the final two rounds, we will continue with House Vasilka, please all who volunteered wait until the second rounds and the ones who didn’t will be given a partner.”

Eisdrache remained by Mason’s side, Rhazel would compete against Aidan. Wind and water, respectively, crossing paths. They weren’t given masks, so Eisdrache could see fully the smirk both friends gave to each other before nodding once with the head and look directly into the other’s eyes.

When Rhazel manoeuvred his hands into creating a sphere of wind that then was thrown into Aidan, he froze the air coming into him and made it water in a second. Aidan then conjured many icicles which flew in direction of Rhazel who evaporated them instantly. Continuous attacks continued during various minutes, leaving the two boys panting, but they did not stop. Rhaz moved his index fingers in circles, creating swirls which consumed the millions drops of water coming for him to then go into a breeze.

Eisdrache’s eyes went to the jury table, they were speaking with one another, whispering and annotating. Aidan and Rhazel continued duelling until a mass of air gave the final blow, getting Aidan onto the floor, ending the dispute.

“Rhazel Cox, House Vasilka, enters the second round,” said Angelice Laverne after the jury had given their scores. Two eights and a nine from Aftan Alexus.

Rhaz helped Aidan get up and both smiled before nodding. Rhaz honey and white hair was wet from all the water thrown in his direction during the duelling. Aidan’s was all messy and pointing to all directions due to the wind used against him. Both patted each other’s back, laughing to then get down the platform and go with the rest of the group.

Mason threw a towel for Rhazel to catch as their friend was celebrated by various people, who quickly went away when he shook his head, splashing everyone with drops of water. Rhaz wasn’t much of celebrations and physical touch, he hated being hugged when he wasn’t the one doing it. Though he let their selected friend group do it from time to time, specially Esmeray Atkison, who was a year younger than them.

“Gods I’m tired,” Rhaz smirked. “I won’t shower in a week with all this water.”

Eisdrache just rolled his eyes playfully fully knowing he would do so barely entering their dorm.

As Rhaz kept the white towel over his head, they continued to watch the duels. That until there was a tap on Drache’s shoulder, quick and hurried. He turned back and found the girl from before, Orya, with her finger over her mouth. Her eyes inviting him to follow her. His eyes glanced at his friends, the second round wouldn’t start till a quarter past eleven, perhaps she just wanted a quick f**k or something. She was quite handsome he wouldn’t deny, but he wasn’t in the mood, so he would have to turn her down, a pity really.

She gestured him to follow her, and so he did, going behind the bleachers until their reached a small door hidden between the panelled windows of the Banquet Hall. It was an emergency door in case something happened, but she had seemed to find it.

Once they were outside, they were greeted with a cool air, which make Eisdrache clench his jaw. He hated winter, it clashed with his element, especially when he went outside and felt the flames quiver against the wind and cold water. He opened his mouth, ready to turn her down, but then she spoke, “I’m not here for a f**k,” she said, almost as if she had read his mind. “You wanted me to teach you, and this is the only moment.”

“Thought you said after the duels ended?” he frowned.

“I have something else to do,” she looked away. Then bore into his eyes again. “Your flames are strong,” she started again, “but your mind seems to be somewhere else.”

His eyes became hard. “None of your business.”

She smirked, “She has quite the eyes if you ask me,” she continued, “though you already seem to know… Her lips are… magical ribbons. The body rendezvous between both you seem to dream about is quite a thing within your mind.”

This time, it was his turn to look away, ashamed of it. She was reading indeed his mind.

It was a common thing between people who shared elements. Fire could read fire and so on. Though it just occurred when you had a connection or relationship with the other person who shared your element. Freya could do it with him, just like Mason, that was the reason he always kept his walls up every minute, but since a few days ago it just seemed impossible, so he had been avoiding people. That until today, and even if he had tried to concentrate in the duels more than anything, there were times when the thought slipped his mind. Mason was concentrated enough in his tactics to use than in anything else, just like Freya, so he had calmed down a bit, but Orya had just jumped over his barriers in a weak attempt of keeping her out.

“Just shut it.”

She smirked again and shrugged. “Fine.”

He looked at her for a minute, her mind was too strong, he couldn’t get in.

“I mean it,” he growled between teeth.

“I’m just here to teach you, calm down pretty boy,” she smiled. “I just wanted a weak moment of you for it.”

He frowned, “What do you mean?”

A circle of flames then surrounded them, she stared at it. “This circle is full of sorrow,” she started saying, “you can see that because the flames are shapeless and blue, hotter than usual. Your fire depends on your emotion, how you handle it. Those whips were mainly fun, a bit of boredom and wittiness,” her eyes on him. “The thing with you is that you don’t let your emotions handle themselves, and you use the mind-blocking in all of them because you’re afraid of getting burn. And if you are afraid of your own fire, you can’t control it.”

He nodded once, slow and understanding.

The circle then dissipated.

“Think of an emotion, any.”

And the first thing that came to his mind was anger.

“Now close your eyes and feel it.”

He closed his eyes, feeling it crawl his spine like a snake, sticking itself into his bones, slithering through his veins, spitting the venom inside of him, burning his flesh. He was so angry. His back was tensed, his body flushed and stinging. It felt like thousands of needles nipping into him.

“Imagine it in any form you can control, something that represents it.”

And soon, it acquired the form of chains leaving his hands, thin and tick, long and short, crawling up his wrists. They were heavy yes, but nothing he couldn’t manage.

He opened his eyes and manoeuvred his hands, feeling the chains ready to burn his opponent and trap them inside his anger.

Orya conjured a set of chains on her own, and both started duelling against each other, clashing the fire. Eisdrache’s chains then wrapped around Orya, not giving her the opportunity to counterattack.

“Quick learner,” Orya clapped once she had freed herself. “But that was easy.”

His eyes fixed into her, the chains quickly disappearing.

“Now try with love, feel love and let it fill you.”

Eisdrache frowned but closed his eyes either way.

First he thought of his mother, Skarlova, especially when he was still a child, but it didn’t produce too much, he couldn’t feel it as strong as the anger. So he continued with his friends, with Lhu specifically, being distant cousins made them very close while growing up. Still, the emotion wasn’t very raw.

But then…

“No, that’s not love,” he said, snapping his eyes open, knowing she was still reading his mind.

“Why not?” she asked, looking seemingly interested in the subject.

“It is just a whim nothing else.”

She stared at him for another moment. “If you don’t let the fire burn you, you aren’t one with it.”

And then she started walking to the secret door again to enter the chateau. He stayed outside for another moment and then followed Orya, who was nowhere to be seen.

When he surrounded the bleachers to go with his friends again, Mason was already on the platform duelling Lorrai Mallgame, who was clearly losing.

Rhazel laughs, “Mate I swear I don’t know how Mallgame got through the first rounds,” and Eisdrache smirks.

“Perhaps daddy paid off.”

And both look at each other before snorting and laughing.

“Oi, there is this lad — he! Right there in the corner,” Rhazel points a bloke who had crossed arms and had his head down, though Drache couldn’t recognise vert well who he was, he had the sabre mask still on. “He has won this last two rounds like it was nothing. The bloke is from Vasilka, I reckon, because he’s competing with us, probably son of a duke or some s**t. But the lad is really good. His duels don’t last more than five minutes, though I haven’t heard his name yet.”

“Yeah?” Eisdrache frowned, not remembering seeing a lad like him before among House Vasilka.

Mason then was announced the winner of the duel, and between claps from everyone present, he descended the platform with his hair completely intact, which made Rhazel open his mouth agape. “Oh you’ve got to tell me your secret, my hair is surely ruined.”

Mason smirked and glided his index and thumb over his lips as a zipper than he then imaginarily locked.

This offended Rhazel even more. “Oh, you little cunt.”

Mason just blew a kiss on his direction.

Drache just laughed.

Half hour passed, then twenty more minutes, and with that, the third round was at its half. Just two more rounds and this was over. Lhu and Esmeray had come down from the bleachers to give them water and some candy, so they rest and recompose. Lhu had mentioned something about Vaughan, and even if Drache was feigning not listening, he indeed was. “But you don’t know where she is?” asked Mason frowning before taking a bite of his sandwich.

“She wasn’t feeling good in the morning, and an hour ago she left to hour dorm, but I don’t want to go, look for her and bother her,” sighed Lhu. “She is a bit pissed off.”

“I would also be,” said Rhazel after chewing the bite he had given to the small cake Esmeray had brought. “It is a pity you girls can’t compete.”

“I knoooww,” complained Esmeray with a pout. “All of this is just so exciting!”

“We can have our duelling later on, love,” Rhaz smiled against Esme’s hair, making her look up at him. He had his arm around her waist, protective, showing her off.

“Drache, you okay?” asked Lhu. “You seem distracted.”

“Thinking about my technique and tactics,” he shook his head.

But it wasn’t that, and by the surreptitious and suspicious look Mason was giving him, he had to put is internal barriers even higher.

Before anyone else could say anything more to the subject, Eisdrache was called for a duel against a bloke with the fire element. His lips curved in a smile; this was going to be so much fun. Fire against fire was always he was willing to go for. So, getting his sabre mask on, he stepped into the platform.

The person competing against him was Flynn Haxel.

For a moment, his mind divagated some places it shouldn’t go.

A memory he had.

Using the technique Orya had given him, he concentrated in the fun of all this, how easy it was or him to win all of this. And then the anger of the memory. From his fingers started to appear sparks of flames which then transformed into two large whips, one in each hand. It hadn’t been that difficult. Feeling the adrenaline within him had helped a lot, that was for sure.

And a bit of help from Orya, yes, lets credit her a little. Yes, yes.

He started slapping the whips into the floor once the signal to start had been given, tauntingly, a smirk on his face.

With no more than four of five movements, Drache had his opponent on the floor.

Ah, so much fun, indeed.

Taking off his mask, he said, “So much for a bastard staying close to royalty.” And even if this angered Haxel, he didn’t respond. And Eisdrache just knew his mind had gone places. So, once he was pronounced winner of the duel, he quickly stepped off the platform and drank from a bottle of water.

His eyes then divagated among the multitude. He caught Orya looking at him.

And she clapped soundlessly with a nod. He nodded back.

By almost 1 PM, the fifth round was here. It was Eisdrache’s turn again. Stretching his arms behind his back, Eisdrache smirked to himself, thinking that the person who would duel against him was already out of the competition. This was the last person with whom he would compete. The scores had been already settled. After this he would be selected.

He put on his sabre mask and swaggered towards the platform. Giving a small jump to get on it, he continued walking until the middle before he bowed at the same time as the bloke in front of him, his fingers lit on fire, ready. His opponent was of small height, which made Drache narrow his eyes in confusion behind the mask. Vasilka boys were generally quite tall and broad, he had never noticed a bloke at least two feet smaller than him inside Vasilka, he seemed like dwarf in comparison to Drache — perhaps he was half-dwarf, who knows.

The unknown guy was wearing dark pants, combat boots and a sweater that was huge on him. He was quite scrawny. Rhaz had said something about this bloke, how he had managed to overpower at least fifteen people in the last five rounds.

And Eisdrache just wondered how that may be. This… bloke… was more like a woman than anything, in shape and figure, as much as he could tell and see. Drache couldn’t see his face, he was wearing the sabre mask as well, and as far as he knew from Mason, he had been wearing it for all his competitions. Was he deformed or something?

When the sign was given to start duelling, Eisdrache’s concentration was again on the iron inside his mind, burning it as the fire from his fingers started expanding and forming into two small wyverns. The wyverns surrounded his arms and soon lunched themselves towards his opponent, but before they could do any harm, a sea serpent which slithered among the wyverns to then explode, extinguishing the fire with its spikes.

Eisdrache narrowed his eyes. Well, he was putting on a fight, that was good.

A duelling between the elements of fire and water was a dramatic and mystical kind of clash of opposing forces that came down centuries. It is a battle that personifies the eternal struggle of power. Centuries ago there had been a sister, an Elemental, mostly proficient in water manoeuvres than anything, and then there was a brother, made of fire and rage, who overcame the tidal waves of what was right.

Eisdrache remembers hearing that story, of the two siblings.

It is more of a reality that anything else.

And he is so ready to win this last round and be a champion.

His opponent glistens with droplets of water cascading down his skinny form, his presence soothing and tranquil, but yet so full of a feeling Drache can’t really read. His movements are like a graceful dance, as he manipulates the water around him, creating elegant waves and intricate patterns in the air. On the other hand, Eisdrache’s body is wreathed in flames, casting a fiery flow in all directions. With each step he takes, the platform trembles and sparks fly from his fingertips, leaving a trail of scorching embers in his wake.

As the duel continues to happen, the water duellist raises his arms, summoning all the water figures he has just made float around him to his command. He creates a swirling vortex of water that dances around her like a protective shield when Eisdrache swirls his hands and throws flames in his opponent’s direction. This makes his jaw clench, and as he summons forth blazing infernos sending jets of raring flames into the water shield, the water duellist forms pistols with his fingers, sending aces of ice towards Eisdrache, who quickly starts blocking them with the chains of fire he has just summoned.

The battle between water and fire takes on mesmerizing forms.

The water duellist uses her liquid mastery to create torrents of water that crash against the fiery onslaught, turning them into clouds of steam. In response, Eisdrache hurls blazing fireballs that sizzle and crackle, attempting to consume his aquatic adversary. The fight is a dance of opposing energies — cool and calming versus fierce and consuming. Steam and mist mingle with flames and smoke, creating a surreal atmosphere of elemental chaos. The surrounding flora quiver as the forces clash.

Eisdrache’s opponent solidifies her water into ice once more as the duel intensifies, both of them display their resilience and adaptability. Eisdrache evaporates the residues of water around him to create a steamy smokescreen, creating a mesmerizing display of elemental mastery. The unknown duellist makes a pose, knee high and arms raised before slicing the air with them, twirling in a half-circle on his site. Eisdrache makes the smokescreen raise and mist around the place to end with the icicles, which freeze parts of the mist around them.

Eisdrache growls and conjures the head of a dragon with a fireball between its jaws, ad when the creature launches itself into his opponent, he jumps into the air, the frozen part of the mist evaporating into rain as the unknown guy lands feet first behind Drache, who pants as his eyes watch the remaining flames of the dragon extinguish.

The tension is palpable. A hushes silence falls over the assembled witnesses, who have fathers as close as possible this duel of honour. The remaining mist hangs low to the ground, the thinnest sheet of ice glowing, adding an eerie quality to the scene, The duellist stand back-to-back, their breathy visible in the cold air. Magic lingering in the air.

And then, as the two turn around, Eisdrache is the first to manoeuvre his hands and s small shield of fire starts clashing with icy air which has transformed into what would be his end. The tiny glows of the ice burn his eyes. The water duellist had been fast to respond, and as much force Eisdrache was applying to his shield. He could feel his own fire burning him.

And then, an explosion.

Smoke starts to dissipate, revealing who had won the duelling.

Eisdrache takes of his mask, revealing a panting person, angry and consumed by rage. He's on the floor. One arm supporting him as he coughs once.

And when his still standing opponent takes off his mask an audible gasp is heard throughout the room.

White wavy hair floats for a second in the air before falling gracefully onto her back, her green crystal eyes hard. Her breath is more controlled than his. She looks down at him. And smirks.

And Drache’s eyes transform into dark flames.

Leevanna f*****g Vaughan.