My immersion in the realm of the ice element persisted unabated. I tirelessly sharpened my abilities with an assortment of weapons, including the bow and the crossbow. I became adept in summoning and propelling ice shards with the assistance of the wind, which was my next elemental lesson. Kryo had earlier discerned my affinity for the wind, but wisely refrained from rushing my instruction in it, insisting that I first perfect my abilities with ice for both offense and defense.

Within the span of a week, I had mastered the art of creating protective ice walls. By launching thin shards that melted upon impact, followed by larger ones, I could trigger a chain reaction powered by my will. A wall of ice would spring up within seconds, shielding me from any onslaught. I also discovered how to summon ice weapon, like swords, shields and daggers.

Though I took pride in my progress, the thrill of learning to harness the wind element was even more exhilarating. This training required me to join group sessions with other students. However, they didn’t regard me as an equal. As an adult human, not a dragon, I held a unique position, staying close to the master as an esteemed guest.

We practiced our flight beyond the city's walls, near designated safe zones, in case any danger arose. Despite the prevailing peace, one could never be too cautious. As we soared through the sky, the master shared tips on leveraging the wind to my advantage, although he couldn’t demonstrate it personally as it wasn’t his elemental proficiency. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in my ability to master it, a sentiment echoed by Akira.

Within our group was a wind dragon who demonstrated how to summon wind to increase his speed. My initial attempts to emulate him yielded no results. Gradually, I recalled how I had previously activated the wind by launching ice shards. Suddenly, I felt a surge of energy and a peculiar turbulence enveloped me. I had succeeded in summoning AGAIN the wind! For a different purpose. However, I soon realized that I had yet to gain control over it. I was propelled too fast and too high, forcing me to fold my wings and dive to counteract the upward thrust.

On reopening my wings, I found the wind had subsided and I regained control. Intrigued by the wind dragon's speed, we engaged in a friendly race. To my astonishment, I outpaced him, although his maneuvers were more elegant than mine. I resolved to practice more to halt the wind at my command and prevent it from sweeping me away uncontrollably.

Our training session took an unexpected turn when Kryo, busy aiding another student, an ice dragon, shouted out a warning. I was momentarily confused, not realizing he meant me. The other ice dragon had launched a volley of ice shards towards me. Though most missed their mark, one was hurtling towards my shoulder. I swiftly summoned my shield, deflecting the shard in the nick of time.

The ice shard, thick and sharp, shattered against my shield, leaving it cracked but holding. The fragments bounced off harmlessly. I taunted the ice dragon, “Nice aim,” to which he retorted sarcastically. Kryo called out, “Again!” and the ice dragon complied, launching another round of shards at me. This time, I was prepared and successfully evaded most of them.

We continued this exercise, switching roles at will, each of us taking turns to launch shards and defend against them. As Kryo shifted his attention to the other students, we got caught up in our rivalry, turning the lesson into a personal contest for supremacy in our elements. My ambitious nature got the better of me, and I saw an opportunity to assert myself, even though I was relatively new to the training.

Our duel ended with me on the losing end, as he landed a blow that sent me crashing to the ground. Quick to recover with my healing power, I was ready for another round. Despite his taunts from above, I refused to back down. I retaliated with a barrage of ice shards, managing to hit his wing and send him spiraling down.

We were far from the others, hidden from their sight. The city walls were still within view, but his injury prevented him from flying. I felt a pang of guilt, wishing I had a health crystal to heal him, much like I had done for Fyrenthos at the arena.

We slowly made our way back to the city, supporting each other like two comrades after a friendly spar. Despite our differences, I sought to maintain peace and avoid further conflict. He might be itching for a rematch, but I had no such intentions.

Back at the city gates, we ran into the guard who had recognized me on my first day. He threw an health crystal to the injured ice dragon, helping him heal. The guard then informed us that Kryo hadn't returned yet, and assured us that someone else would be dispatched to inform him of our comeback.

Once healed, the ice dragon and I returned to the academy. I attempted to reason with him about our reckless duel. Initially, he was defensive, refusing to admit that I had inflicted the wound. But eventually, he cooled down. I proposed a rematch at the academy's arena, a suggestion he considered but postponed for another day. He agreed to see me as a worthy opponent, and I apologized for the incident. He brushed off my apology, suggesting that we make amends and challenge each other again another day, this time with a health crystal at hand to avoid any dangerous situations.

Later, we reconnected with Kryo and the group. They were informed of our safe return and the ice dragon's injury, but didn't question the circumstances of our solo adventure. Kryo, however, privately inquired about it at the academy.

We refrained from revealing the truth about our reckless duel, hoping he would accept our version of events and not punish us for breaking the rules or endangering ourselves. To our relief, there were no repercussions. Kryo was understanding and empathetic, reminding us to exercise caution in the future and adhere closely to his instructions. He even commended us for our bravery and skill, expressing belief in our potential to become exceptional flyers if we continued to work hard and improve. We really valued him as a wise and patient master.