A whistling noise cut through the ranks of students, drawing Celica’s attention away from the conversation. She gulped down the rest of her coffee before discarding it and falling in line with the rest of the group as they turned to face their instructors. 

Celica listened attentively as addressed their audience. It was the usual routine stuff, nothing they had never heard before, and she found herself hiding a small smile as the three Mythics cycled through the short speech. They must have had it memorized, by that point. 

Soon enough, they reached the important part. As Ikari and Sylphide ceded the spotlight to Draco, Celica took a calming breath, waiting for her name to be called. Alice’s name came first, and it was accompanied by an outraged cry from a few feet away. Celica furrowed her brow in the direction of the sound, but the announcements continued unabated.

She perked up as her name was called. “Celica Dancer against Charles Lafreniere.”

Celica frowned, silently mouthing the name. She couldn’t recall hearing it before, meaning that there was a good chance that she had been paired up with a different kind of Shifter. Would it be a Titan or a Fae? Both presented their own set of difficulties. The thought left her scanning the crowd of students, wondering what to expect.

As the speech reached her conclusion, Celica took a few steps back, letting the others disperse. Many took on their alternate forms right then, some taking to the skies, while others simply took off running. Others met up with their opponents before setting out together. Alice was among the former.

Celica hummed. Still no sight of this Charles. After a moment, she spun on her heel and began walking to towards her designated area.

Power thrummed inside of her as she walked, and she allowed it to flow out with practiced ease. A chill ran down her spine as her blood turned pleasantly cold. Her skin acquired a deathly pallor, a bluish tint spreading through her lips, and ice spread from her left eye into the shape of a scaled mask. With a tilt of her head, it was left hidden under a swath of black hair. Her bare forearms glimmered under the sun’s light as they were replaced by hands of crystalline ice in the shape of plated gauntlets reaching up to her elbows.

In this form, the Shifter took a breath of crisp air, letting it out in a pleased sigh. It was cold, but pleasantly so, the nipping sensation leaving her awake and energized. She felt like she could run forever, without ever growing tired. And so she did.

-----

Celica slowed as she began approaching what she believed to be the area she had been assigned. The grassy plain had given way to flat, rocky terrain some time ago, dust and barren earth painting the scenery in browns and grays. A few patches of dried grass mottled the scene with yellow. In the distance, she could see the edge of a ravine, snaking through the ground.

Still no Charles Lafreniere.

She had kept her eyes open for any Shifters flying in the same direction, or any runners behind her, but any that came to view had gone their own way. Had she misheard the location when Draco had been listing the pairings for that day’s spar? Or perhaps her partner had gotten himself lost.

Out of habit, her hand settled on one of her pistols, feeling the weight of the sleek, metallic weapon on her waist. As she scanned the landscape, she considered the possibility that her opponent was hiding, but the land was as flat as a plateau, and the few patches of grass that dotted it barely reached up her thigh. It seemed she would either have to wait, or walk around, hoping her partner eventually showed himself.