They had finally reached the Academy by nightfall the following night, a crowd gathering when they heard Atlas screech. When they landed, the head of the Academy, Marcus, a middle aged man with a thick, black beard and a receding hair line, approached them, welcoming Hayden with a smile. "Welcome back," he said to Hayden who nodded respectfully. "I see you have a new companion."

"This is Zoe and her white fury, Uri," Hayden introduced.

"Welcome to the Academy, Zoe," Marcus said in such a friendly tone that made Zoe uncomfortable. "Come inside, you must be hungry and tired. Hayden, you know where you're room is, I believe there's an empty one next door if you would like to take Zoe there and you can both get settled in before dinner in an hour."

"Thanks Marcus. C'mon Zoe."

They headed to the main building, a large stone mass that was several stories high and was protruding from a mountain. As they flew, Hayden quickly explained the dynamics of the place and what the main building contained, mentioning the dorms, dining hall and the library, the latter peaking Zoe's interest, Gus had told her to take advantage of the library.

Hayden led her through the building, telling her where different things were. She wasn't really listening, she'd get lost regardless. The inside of the Academy reminded her of Hogwarts, she reckoned it had to have just as many staircases.

Once they reached Hayden's room, he showed her to a spare room that was next to his. "If you need anything before dinner, I'll be in my room," he told her. "I'm going to shower and change so you'll have to wait until I'm done if you need anything," he added. With that, they went their separate ways, their respective dragons following their rider.

Her room was made of stone with a large, arch window that could be opened opposite the wooden door. There was a wooden bed against the middle of the wall, a small wardrobe in the corner and a desk left to the window. Zoe removed her bags from Uri's harness and unstrapped the saddle, letting it fall to the ground with a thud. "Where do we start?" Uri asked.

"I don't think we'll be able to get to the library today, so just rest up, you deserve it," she told her dragon who nodded in response, curling up under the window where the sun was streaming in. Zoe decided to shower and change as well, the shower and fresh clothes making her feel much better. She left off her armour but strapped a few knives to herself but so they were out of sight. Sitting in the middle of her bed, she pulled out her two leather bound notebooks. One contained all she knew about the hunters and their operations, the other had bending instructions for each element so she could teach herself. She flicked through her earth bending notes, practising with a few stones she dislodged from the floor until she heard a knock on her door. She slammed her bending notebook closed, letting the stones fall back into their place in the floor before answering. "Yeah?" She called. The door opened, revealing Hayden standing in the doorway. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"Yep. Hang on I need to put my shoes on." She jumped off the bed, tucking her notebooks back in her bag and pulling out a pair of shoes she only wore when she wasn't wearing her armour.

They walked to the dining hall, Uri, Sharpshot and Atlas following behind. As they came closer to the hall, more people appeared, smiling and waving to Hayden who nodded back. Uri, feeling uncomfortable, changed her scales so she was blending in with the walls. Zoe, who was just as nervous, drew closer to Hayden's side who looked down at her, offering a reassuring smile. The hall was a large, open cavern with rafters almost ten meters high and long tables in rows down the hall. The area was full of people of every age, a few dragons hanging around their riders. She felt a gust of wind behind her and a weight settle itself on her shoulders in the form of Sharpshot. "I'll be watching from the rafters," she heard Uri say in her head.

"Thanks," she responded under her breath knowing Uri would hear her. Hayden led her to an empty table where they sat down, plates of food spread along the table.

"Help yourself," he said to her, gesturing to the food. They had just finished eating when Marcus came and sat down opposite them.

"So Zoe, you're the new fury rider," he started. Receiving no response, he continued. "We'll get you started with water bending tomorrow for the first half of the day and weapons training the second half of the day, sound good?" Before Zoe could answer, he turned to Hayden, "Hayden, I need you to take the fire bending class while you're here, that ok?"

"Oh, um, sure."

"Great. I'll get you to take the beginner class in the mornings and the intermediate class in the afternoons. You know where they train. The morning class starts an hour after sunrise and the afternoon group starts straight after lunch which is at midday. Thanks mate, I better go."

With that, he was gone. "He seems very...pushy," Zoe said.

"He's under a lot of pressure at the moment. The hunters have been much more active closer to the Academy recently so they're expecting the hunters to attack," Hayden explained. Zoe still didn't like him.

-o0O0o-

Zoe started her training the next day. She already knew some water bending so the instructor got the rest of the group started before teaching her more advanced bending separately. Her weapons training was hilarious, taking down the instructor with her swords in minutes. She was immediately told that she could do her own training in the class if she wished.

It took three days before Zoe could get to the library. Uri wasn't allowed in, so Zoe went by herself, Uri waiting outside in the hall, camouflaged. The library was huge, the ceiling as high as the one in the dining hall. The shelves were four meters high and stood in rows, torches mounted to the shelves at intervals, casting an orange glow across the books and floor. There were no windows as the library was set in the part of the Academy that was inside the mountain, granting it as much protection as possible. Zoe spent most of her time in the library in the bending section, taking notes on fire and earth bending in particular before she was kicked out so the library could close.

Each night after dinner, she would go to the library, taking down as much as she could. They would then fly to a nearby island that was less than a 10 minute flight from the Academy and Zoe would practise her bending. When she wasn't in classes, she would watch the fire and earth bending classes, hidden in her armour that Uri had camouflaged. This continued for two months, Zoe spending an hour or two in the library each day, watching other classes and flying to the island to practise at night, only seeing Hayden at meal times. Her 18th birthday had come and gone and she had mastered water and surprisingly, earth bending, earning herself two new tattoos behind her right ear. She had also learnt how to communicate with Uri in her head. It had taken a lot of practise, but now it was second nature.

It was nearing the second month of Zoe's training and she was on her island, practising her bending, when she heard Atlas screech. She whipped around, snuffing out the fire before they landed. "Zoe? What are you doing out here?" Hayden asked.

"Um, training," she said.

"At this hour? Zoe, you need your sleep. Let's go back," he said, gesturing to the Academy. She couldn't really refuse, so she grabbed her notebook and leapt into the saddle. The two furies leapt into the air and glided back to the Academy, Atlas almost invisible and Uri practically glowing.

"What were you really doing?" Hayden asked once they had landed.

"I was training," Zoe replied earnestly.

"I thought you'd mastered water bending?"

"I have, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't practise."

Hayden looked at her oddly before turning to go into his room. "Please, just don't do anything that the Academy could see as betrayal. They're already on edge with Uri being a white fury, don't let them think you're up to something."

"Ok," she said quietly.

-o0O0o-

It was the first of May, and it was chaos. The war horn had just been blown and Hayden had been whisked away to the war council meeting, leaving Zoe to put on her armour and strap her weapons to herself. She threw Uri's saddle on, buckling it so it was secure. Sharpshot had assumed his position around her shoulder, providing the comforting weight and warmth. Zoe went into Hayden's room, grabbing his retractable sword that he had left on his desk that morning before running to the council room and waiting outside. She could hear what they were saying inside: "there's an armada of at least 25, each usually carries 150 men. We're outnumbered without the youngest riders." It was Marcus.

"You are not sending the young ones out there, they've only had a few months of training. You shouldn't even be sending out the group in the year above them." That was Hayden's voice. "And Zoe comes with me. I'm not having her stand guard of the hall when she'd be much more effective out there," he said.

"I've told you Hayden, Zoe has not completed enough training to fight."

"And I've told you, she is completely capable. And she's not one of your students either, she's the fury rider and, just like me, is not required to take orders from anyone. So Zoe is coming with me."

The door burst open as Hayden came storming out, Atlas following behind. "Zoe!" He jumped when he saw her in the hall. "What are you doing here?"

"You left this," she said, giving him his sword. He took the sword, looking down to where it was usually strapped.

"Shit!" he said when he realised that he'd left it in his room. "Thank you so much. Ok, you're going to be coming with me. We need to take out as many ships as we can before they can dock. The more hunters that are on the ground, the bloodier it'll get." With that the two of them ran down the hall, Hayden stopping after only 50 meters and staring out a window with dread written across his face. "They've docked," he whispered.

Zoe looked out the window, seeing 8 ships already had hunters pouring off them. "Come on," she said, forcing open a window. "Uri, Atlas, out. We'll be right behind you."

"Zoe, what-"

"Just go!" She yelled, jumping out the window that was several stories up, pulling Hayden with her.

"You're crazy!" He yelled as they fell, Uri catching them in her paws. Atlas flew underneath her, Hayden dropping onto his back whilst Uri threw Zoe forward, Zoe using her air bending to guide herself in the air to land on Uri's back.

"Let's go!" They shot forward heading for the ships that were still in the water to hopefully stop them reaching the Academy. They took out 12 of the ships, the rest had already docked.

"We need to help them on the ground," Hayden shouted through the wind. Atlas and Uri dropped the two riders on the ground before returning to the air to watch for archers. Hayden and Zoe fought back to back, Zoe only incapacitating any hunter that came near her. Somehow, Hayden and Zoe were separated, Atlas and Uri firing at groups of hunters to try and stop their advance. Zoe turned to see where Hayden was and saw a volley of arrows heading straight for him as he took on two hunters at once. "NO!" She yelled as she saw Hayden take down one of the hunters, but the other send their sword through Hayden's side between the chink in his armour. Something inside Zoe snapped, throwing all caution to the wind, she used her air bending to send the arrows off course. She called for Uri, thick clouds gathering in the sky above them, a snow storm forming. She fought her way over to Hayden who had slumped to his knees and was pressing on his wound to try and stem the bleeding. "Hayden! Oh gods, here let me see it." Before she could do anything, hunters started closing in around the two of them. Uri and Atlas were shooting at them from above, but it wasn't enough. Zoe stood up, dropping her swords to the ground and grabbed her glider, unfolding it. She swept it around her in an arc, sending a gust of wind towards the hunters, knocking the first few rows back. Holding the glider in one hand, she made the earth jump from the ground in columns and fall back into the ground, starting closest to her and Hayden and continuing further away from them, throwing the hunters into the air. Covering the ground with ice, she sent another gust of wind, causing the remaining hunters lose their balance. Whilst she had time, she knelt down in front of Hayden who was looking at her open mouthed. "What was that?" He asked.

"Later. I need to stop you from bleeding out."

She ran her fingers through the air, removing the moisture and creating a water casing around her hand that began to glow. She held it on Hayden's wound, watching the water heal him. It was taking too long. The hunters were reforming, getting used to the ice on the ground. His wound was almost healed, the bleeding having stopped. "Um, Zoe, not to doubt you or anything, but the hunters are getting very close," Hayden stammered out.

"I know, but I'm trying to heal your wound," she said, not taking her eyes off his side. At the last second, she stood up and sent another gust of wind and ice at the hunters, sending them back, but not for long. She called on the blizzard, making it stronger. She put a dome of fire around Hayden so he wouldn't freeze in the rapidly dropping temperatures. She sent wave after wave of ice and wind at them, destabilising the ground they walked on, sending them back. Eventually they retreated to the remaining ships. Once they were all on the ships, Zoe used her water and air bending to send the ships out, pushing them away from the Academy as fast as she could. She let the blizzard die, Uri landing next to her and nuzzling her in support. She waved her hand, the ice disappearing before she rushed back to Hayden. She passed through the dome of fire, removing it once the temperature had returned to normal. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"I'm fine," he said as Zoe helped him stand. Atlas came up next to him to help support his weight. He turned to look at her, "you're an elemental," he said, Zoe confirming what he said with a nod.

"White fury rider!" A voice yelled behind them. It was Marcus storming towards them. "You must leave immediately. You are no longer welcome here."

"What? I just saved your arses!"

"Your powers are too dangerous for the Academy. You will not be declared an enemy of the Academy if you collect your things and leave immediately."

Zoe just stared at him. "Fine." She leapt into the saddle, flying up to her room to collect her things, leaving Hayden standing there in shock.

-o0O0o-

She was just finishing securing her second bag onto Uri's harness when Hayden burst through her door. He was holding his side and was pale from blood loss, gasping in pain. Zoe immediately went to him and helped him over to her bed where she sat him down. "Gods, Hayden. You idiot! You've reopened the wound." She repeated the process from before, pressing her hand covered in the glowing water to his side, Hayden hissing in pain. They sat in silence whilst Zoe healed Hayden's wound, properly this time, leaving behind not even a scar, only his bloody clothes under his armour. "You're an elemental," he repeated weakly.

"Yes," she responded, cautiously.

"Why didn't you tell me this time?" He asked, referring to Zoe not telling him about her gift of winter.

She sighed before answering, "because it would involve telling you everything, and I made a promise that I would have to break to tell you what you would want to know."

"So that's it? I just have to accept everything that happens with you without an explanation?"

"No- I don't know. I need to leave though."

"Let me go pack my stuff and then we can go," he said, getting up, whatever colour that had returned to his face disappearing again.

"What, no, sit down. You're in no shape to go anywhere," she said, pushing him back down. "You need to stay here until you've recovered properly. I'll be fine, I have Uri. And Sharpshot," she added after receiving a huff in her ear from the smaller dragon.

"I don't belong here anymore than you do, I need to leave. I want to go back to roaming the world, rescuing dragons and sinking hunter ships."

"And you can, but you need to recover first. Even you know that. You're asking me for permission for gods sakes. Look, I'll meet you at your island in a week and I'll explain everything ok, but you need rest. Promise me you'll at least stay until tomorrow night?"

Hayden sighed, "promise."

"Thank you. I'll see you in a week." She mounted the saddle, heading for the window.

"What will you do?" Hayden called out.

"Rescue dragons and sink some hunter ships," she smiled.

"Stay safe."

"Haven't I proved that I can look after myself?"

"Just be careful, please."

"I will." With that, Uri leapt out the window, shooting into the air and taking on the colours of her surroundings, disappearing into the setting sun.

-o0O0o-

Zoe spent the week doing exactly what she told Hayden she'd do. She had to admit, it was fun and she was glad the Academy had kicked her out, she didn't know how much longer she could last.

That night, she landed on Hayden's island, a glow coming from inside the forge. She headed straight for the stand-alone building, finding him there, leaning over a desk and starring at something in a book. He turned when she came in, his face brightening. "I thought you wouldn't come," he said.

"Well you thought wrong. How's your wound?" She asked, removing her helmet and sitting on a stool.

"Its fine, you made sure of that. I just needed time to replace the blood I lost."

"Anything interesting happen while you were gone?" He asked.

"Nope. Unless you count a very brief meeting with Viggo. It was only long enough for introductions," she laughed. "He's an interesting character, you're definitely right about the half attempts at actually stopping you."

"What happened?" Hayden asked, suddenly concerned.

"Relax, I'm fine. I just had a civil conversation with him whilst my hands were tied with rope and when I'd had enough I burnt the rope and jumped over board. I stayed underwater until I had gotten far enough away from the ship and then Uri picked me up."

"So he knows you're an elemental?"

"I doubt it. Once I'd burnt the rope I held onto it so they wouldn't see how I got my hands free. It's probably at the bottom of the ocean now."

Hayden seemed to relax at this. "So, you owe me some explanations I believe."

"Ah...yes...did you want them served with dinner or now?" She asked tentatively.

"Now's fine."

"Ok," she sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"How can you bend elements other than water?"

"I'm an elemental?" Zoe responded, confused.

"I mean how did you learn?"

"Oh...well I used the library a lot at the Academy and practised on that island you found me on. I also watched the classes, Uri hiding me in my armour."

"What about air bending? There's nothing on how to air bend in the library."

"There isn't?"

"No, those books went missing around the same time that the air benders disappeared. So, how did you learn?"

"I was taught."

"Taught? By who?"

"The same person who taught me how to fight."

"Wait, so air bending was your first element?"

"Yes."

"You're an air bender?"

"Yes."

"Ok, you're going to just have to tell me, I'm so confused."

Zoe sighed again, "The air benders still exist. They live in another world that's only big enough to support them. Uri took me there where they trained me for eleven months. I had mastered air bending and my gift of winter before I left and came here. That's why you couldn't find me. They warned me about the world Below and the Academy, telling me to take advantage of the library while I was there. In the second month I was with the air benders, I discovered that I was an elemental. I asked Gus, my teacher, why I didn't burn in the fire that killed thousands of people and why I didn't choke on the smoke. He figured out what I was and I experimented and practised from then on but I could only get so far without any instructions. And that's basically it," she finished, Hayden processing everything she had just said.

"Wait so why hasn't anyone found the air benders?"

"Because only air benders can open the gateway to get there," she told him, Hayden nodding in understanding.

"So the cycle wasn't broken."

"What?"

"There's a cycle that's followed when a new rider is chosen. If a male rider dies, the next one is female, and vice versa. And the order of elements is water, earth, fire and air, that's why we all thought you were a water bender, because we thought all the air benders were gone," Hayden explained. "Do you have any other powers or cool tricks?"

"What, no!"

"But promise you'll tell me things from now on?" Hayden said more seriously.

Zoe sighed, "I promise."