For centuries, the other Elemental Schools mocked the Water Mages, saying they were only useful for running their baths and keeping their drinks cool.
The Hydromancers bore these insults with a placid demeanor. They wielded a power too subtle and dangerous to be displayed openly.
One day, their greatest prodigy lost her temper and set a single drop of water in an offending Earth Mage’s lungs. She demanded an apology while he gasped for air.
The student was nearly expelled, but her elders had to admit the other three schools treated them with a good deal more respect after that.

“Single egg shaped water droplet” by Luke Peterson Photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0