The Brightest Fall
Chapter Four
Lying sprawled out on the plush covers of her new four poster bed; Hermione mulled over the past few of days in her mind, her tired eyes not waking with the rest of her body. Since she first woke here in the Academy to now, everything felt like one great adrenaline rush, all her senses blinded to everything that was really going on around her as she just went with the flow. And now she came down from the high, rationalizing all that had occurred.
Technically now, she wasn't Hermione anymore, she was "Iris"
She just wanted to go home and forget all of this, not have to serve a sentence for being rescued! But that made her think, why had she come so close to death? Who on Earth could have targeted her like that and what for? There had to be some sort of reasoning behind it all and she'd go down with a fight trying to find it.
Breaking away from her rising questions, Hermione felt the pang of hunger as her stomach groaned. Where could she get some food around here? Rising from the bed, she sat straight and stretched her arms out wide. Looking around the white walled room, there was a partially filled bookshelf and a set of drawers to the left side of the bed and on the right side was a study desk with several drawers and a lamp, pushed against the wall and below a moderately large window.
Along with the walls, the furniture was plainly white, including her sheets. It made her feel like she was being stowed away in a clinic rather than her own personal quarters. As she made to make sure she'd ask about giving a little color to the room, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Hermione called.
Castor edged the door open with his foot and quickly shuffled in before the door could smack his elbow and topple the tray from his grip, "Some late breakfast, I figured you'd be hungry after so long, especially since I wasn't keeping you sustained with the drip for long after your surgery…"
On the silver tray were three separate plates. One had a couple sunny-side up as well as scrambled eggs, another with several rashers of bacon and the last with a few slices of toast and pan-fried mushrooms and tomatoes. As Hermione inhaled the scent that wafted toward her, her mouth began salivating on its own accord. Castor moved over to the desk, placing the tray down and pulling the chair out which Hermione unceremoniously threw herself into, starting right on the bacon.
Laughing at her fervor, Cas sat on the corner of the table, watching her as she shoved as much food into her mouth at once as possible. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone here eat as passionately as you are right now!"
Pulling back as she realized how hasty she had been to start eating, Hermione pulled a napkin from underneath one of the plates, her face going bright pink as she dabbed at her mouth. "I'm so sorry… I'm never really like that!" she apologized after swallowing, "but thank you for this, it really was needed."
Picking up the fork that she should have used to start with, she began to pick slowly at the mushrooms.
"Hey don't stop now! It's nice to know that my cooking is appreciated so immensely… But please continue shoveling the food down, you were almost done!"
Hermione shoved at his knee, smiling as Cas beamed down at her. Her stomach rumbled in agreement, so she went back to eating her late breakfast carefully.
"By the way, have you been named..?" Cas asked tentatively.
Nodding in response, she dabbed at her mouth as she truly finished her food, leaving only a few bits of the crust of the toast and a little of the scrambled eggs.
"Am I allowed to know? Wait – don't tell me!" He argued with himself.
Hermione giggled, deciding that she felt that she'd rather Cas know her new name first before the others, it was the least she could owe him so far. Brushing her hands off on her pyjama bottoms and clearing her throat, Hermione stretched her hand out to Cas, "Hi, my name is Iris."
Amused, Cas took her hand and followed along, "Castor, but call me Cas."
"Pleasure to meet you Cas."
"The pleasure is mine, Iris…" He responded charmingly. Their hands lingered together for a little while longer, each was transfixed to the others gaze. Hermione couldn't – didn't – want to break away as she felt a warm sensation bubble from the tips of her fingers, through her arms.
"What else can you make people feel other than warm and fuzzy?" asked Hermione, slowly drawing her hand back to her lap.
"Anything, really."
"Anything?"
"I could make you feel like you'd just conquered the world, like you'd just been thrown from a cliff, shot in the stomach, hot, cold…" Castor answered, piling the plates on the tray with a nonchalant expression. "Could even make you feel like you're about to give birth if I really wanted."
Hermione snorted. "Give birth? How would you know what it's like to give birth?"
His expression turned solemn for a moment before he responded. "You know how there's consequences, catches, to those things that always seem too good to be true? Just imagine what it would be like when you've been given the news that you've got the ability to manipulate another's emotions? The power that comes with such a gift…
"The catch for me, I was told, was apparently simple, easy in a sense. But everyone who hasn't experienced something that you have has always got the nerve to say such a thing, that what you're going through isn't as bad as you make it out to be, "it can't be that bad". But they don't understand. It's much more complex than what was said. I feel what you feel before I manipulate it, even if it's just for a fleeting moment or for a full minute and it hurts. The wounds that I had to mend before most of the other recruits were changed, I know their pain, and I know yours."
Hermione's heart leapt out toward Cas, she could only imagine what such a burden felt like, the weight of another's emotions bearing on your shoulders as well as your own. "C—Can you… How do you cope with that?"
"It's… it's hard, but I've come up with a way to diffuse the pain. We all – except for you at the moment – have this guard that we can turn on and off, comes in handy a great deal when we engage in combat. It numbs the pain; you don't feel anything at all."
"But then can't you just keep your guard up?"
"That's a part of the catch with my 'ability', my guard, without my own consent, drops when I'm dealing with someone suffering. For example, as soon as you came to me, I felt… I felt your agony, your distress, and the helplessness that your thoughts gave off on the whole attack… It nearly winded me. Especially because you came so abruptly and I wasn't prepared in any sense for another patient. But I do my best to bring that guard straight back up as soon as it drops; my will is what controls the length that I feel the emotions for. But then again I do have the ability to put it down when I want to."
Cas stood and took the tray from before her and she was caught deep in thought over all that she'd just been told. She didn't particularly like the way that this conversation ended either, so she called to Cas quickly before he could leave.
"Hey…"
He half turned toward her from his position at the door, raising an eyebrow in question.
"What are the chances of being able to add a little color to this room…?"
Cas' face softened as he worked up a smirk. "It can be arranged."
She beamed as he turned back and exited through the door. Now she could lie down and let her full stomach digest its contents. Just as she tossed her body onto the plush mattress, the door was shoved open again and Cas' head poked through.
"I also forgot to mention, Cassi will be coming by soon to talk to you and let you know about the process for the introductions, don't fret it's nothing serious, she just felt that she'd rather brief you a little so you can avoid being overwhelmed, if it were sprung on you out of nowhere."
"Wasn't I briefed enough last night?" Hermione joked.
"Oh dear no, that was just the beginning, there's only so much more to come!"
Settling back into the covers, she pulled the duvet up to her chin. "Thank you, Cas."
"Anything for you, Iris."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
.
It wasn't long till Cassiopeia knocked on her door. It was perfect timing too. As she was dwelling in a semi-conscious state, her ears registered a knock at the door and she woke, feeling refreshed and not completely groggy like she'd just come out of a deep sleep.
Hermione pulled the door open an inch to peek through before opening it any further, spotting Cassi on the other side with a timid smile, dressed in a sleek black dress with short shoulder sleeves. She looked the picture of a headmistress of a college, dressed elegantly and radiating authority.
"May I come in?" Cassiopeia asked through the small gap between the door and wall.
"Sure." Hermione responded, tugging the door open all the way. Cassi moved over to take a seat on the edge of the bed, patting the mattress beside her. She joined her and they sat quietly for a few moments.
"How are you feeling?" Cassi inquired, breaking the silence.
"I'm feeling great, finally well rested and fed," She replied, "Castor knows how to cook up a beautiful breakfast for someone who hasn't eaten for a while."
"Ah yes, he does know his stuff, looks completely at home behind the kitchen counter and at the stove, surrounding by pots and pans and all sorts of ingredients. He can whip up anything for any hungry stomach," Cassi agreed. "I'm going to assume he let you know that I was going to come by?"
"Yes, he did." Hermione confirmed.
"Wonderful, well I was just spending time to try and gather all the recruits in one place but just like any large lot of kids, they're all over the place! But I did, however' manage a small group of them, about five, in the dining hall so that you could meet a few of them that you haven't before."
"How many are there altogether?"
"Well, you've already met Phoenix, Lyra, Norma and Castor; they mainly stay here at base and assist in running the Academy, Phoenix being a third degree commander, myself a second and Delphinus first degree. Lyra and Norma are assistants to Delphinus and me and then lovely Castor who is the Academy surgeon. This leaves another ten recruits for you to meet."
"It seems a fairly small number to be deemed under an Academy…" Hermione stated.
"I had a feeling you were going to mention the numbers," Cassiopeia laughed to herself. "There used to be much more of us in number under this one Academy, but after a great decline in activity that we would normally engage in, there was no need for so many, so, under Delphinus' order, our one big tribe split into smaller clans and we're now spread all over."
"Sounds fair. When do I meet everyone?"
Cassi paused in thought for a moment. "I think we should set off now before they all get impatient and leave after I took all that time to try and gather them!"
Cassi took her hand and they both rose from the bed together but before either of them took a step towards the door, Cassiopeia took something out of a hidden pocket and placed it into Hermione's palm. Sparkling against the rays of sun shining through the window was a long silver chain, an 'evil eye' pendant gleaming on the end.
"It was sitting in one of my collection cabinets and felt it to be… fitting, especially for you. I found it glowing when you were about to approach us in the briefing room. It seemed only appropriate to hand it to you." Cassi took it from her palm and moved to stand behind her, latching the two ends of the thin chain together.
As the word 'glowing' was mentioned, it began to glimmer dimly as it rest between her cleavage.
"A—Are you sure? I don't think I could—"
"Take it? That's exactly what you're going to do, it is yours now, Iris."
Hermione spun around slowly to face her.
"Don't worry my dear," She placed her hands on either side of Hermione's face. "It's had its turn with me and has now found a new person to place its allegiance within."
Failing to find words, Hermione gave up on trying to find an excuse to give back such a precious item. To comfort her, Cassi stepped forward and embraced her in soothing hug.
"Come now, I'm sure we'll find the rest of them at the door leaving as soon as we arrive."
They walked, arm in arm through three different corridors before they found the door they wanted to be at.
"And as for that dull glow that the pendant is giving off, that isn't a fraction of the full strength glow it'll give off once you've been changed."
Placing a hand on the door knob, it turned Hermione's grip before she even had a chance to grab it, it spun quickly in her palm and was yanked from her grip. Castor was revealed on the other side of the door. "Hey! I was just about to come and find you two, there's only so long that food can distract them for."
Cassi turned to Hermione and gave her a knowing look as she unlinked their arms, "I told you we'd find them impatient."
Castor stepped aside, letting Hermione and Cassi pass, then moved back inside to lift three large tins back out into the corridor. "Iris! Hey…"
Hermione almost forgot to turn around at the call of her new name. Cas motioned her back over to him.
"Okay so I've borrowed some paint off Bootes, he's our head of weaponry, and this was what he could palm off to me," He shook the ten litre cans in his grip, "out of the entire rainbow he's got in that cupboard of his.." Cas muttered more to himself.
"Well what colours did you get?"
He hesitated a little, "I kinda went ahead and assumed what colour suited you best and I asked for red and gold, the gold would definitely go with your eyes…"
She felt a blush crawl up her cheeks, so she averted her eyes to the suddenly interesting cornice along the ceiling. "Thank you, they're a beautiful choice, reminds me of—"
"Now Cas, what are those for?" A new voice called out, cutting Hermione off.
"Not for you, that's for sure!" Cas began to walk away, "I'm going to head off and get started on your room before I have to prepare for—"
"Don't get smart with me!"
"Alright, alright; hush now Percy," Cassi settled the rest of recruits as Cas left the room entirely, "Iris would you please..." Hermione cautiously stepped over to Cassiopeia, as if one wrong step would be the end of her.
"For all of you here, whether you were present or not at the time, we have collected a new recruit."
She stood beside Cassi, fiddling with her nails and glancing from Cassi to the marble floor at her feet.
"I'd appreciate if you all rise from your seats and stand in a line before me so that introductions can be over with and you return to your seats or to whatever it was you were doing before I gathered you here."
At the sound of chairs scraping the floor and shuffling of feet, Hermione decided to look up at those before her. There were six of them standing merely two meters away.
"And just where do you three think you're going?"
Before she could scrutinize those in front of her, Hermione followed Cassi's voice to the three culprits at the other end of the room, looking as though they'd been trying to leave before being noticed. The three at the door still refrained from turning around. Each of them had a completely different coloured head of hair to the next; one was white blonde, another jet black and the third a deep, metallic blue.
The one with the jet black hair turned around first. "Apologies mum but we're on an errand for Fin, need to set up the—"
"It does not matter what errand you're on for Delphinus, Perri. I called you all here for just a few minutes, this will be quick and you can get back to your errand once it's over."
Perri let out a sigh and nudged the other two, walking over to join the end of the line. They followed with their heads down, linking onto the end.
"Now my dears, this lovely young woman standing beside me, arrived here at the Academy merely two days ago. She is yet to be changed and once she is, then you will all truly get to bond. Her name is Iris."
There were now nine. Her eyes wondered over to the first in line. Dark brown eyes found hers and she smiled, whilst twirling a Spartan shield in her grip. She was gorgeous, her blue-black hair glistening like silk beneath the chandelier above.
"This lovely lady, first in line, is Aquilina." Cassi introduced.
Aquilina waved with her right hand whilst she tucked her fringe behind her ear. "Call me Aquila, and save yourself the mouth full of tongue ties when we're in a rush. Plus, I like it better."
Beside Aquila, and a full two heads taller, was a pale skinned boy. His light brown eyes looked tired, exhausted for reasons Hermione would never know. "Next in line, Caelum."
Caelum gave a shy wave in response.
The girl standing next to him looked like the epitome of lust. Golden waves cascaded over her shoulders, her lips were painted red, just begging to be kissed and blue eyes that could drown anyone who stared for too long. The tight fitting singlet that revealed enough of her chest and skintight yoga pants that she was wearing accentuated the tempting vibe she gave off. Everything about her screamed seductress. "This darling beside Caelum is Carina."
Carina nodded toward Hermione as her greeting, turning her attention back to Cassi.
"Then there's Chamaeleon. He's our Academy mentor/trainer."
Just a little shorter than Caelum, Native American in appearance, Chamaeleon cheerfully waved at her. He had silver-blue eyes that stood out against his dark skin tone and black hair, his fringe styled toward the ceiling. The ambiance he gave off was like he just wanted to make friends, and like Cas, want to make her feel comfortable.
"Next is Perseus."
Brown eyed with dark brown hair, the shade of bark, tall, well-built and surly looking, Perseus smirked at her. "So you're what's been occupying Castor these past couple days?"
His voice was the one that called out to Cas before he left the room.
"Not now, Percy." Cassiopeia pacified. "Looking as though she's ready to fall asleep, alongside Percy is Lynx."
She truly did look on the verge of a deep slumber. Lynx had her head propped up against Percy's bicep, her chest gently rising and falling. Her dark orange hair was pulled up into a high pony tail, and her arms were folded loosely around her abdomen. But at the sound of her name, her freckled eyelids fluttered open, revealing drowsy brown eyes. "S-sorry… mum…"
Cassi laughed out a sigh, "We're almost done honey, and you can rest soon."
"I'll make it quick then!" Perri stepped forward and bowed a little and gave her a salute, "Hey Iris, my name is Perri, Academy messenger and flight instructor."
His jet-black hair was close shaved on either side, but the rest of his hair on top was styled forward. He too, like Norma and Chamaeleon, had bright blue eyes, but there was something different about his, if only she could get closer…
"Beside me is Orion, he and Chamaeleon train us all," Orion was the one with dark, metallic blue hair and had violet eyes that pierced her soul when they found hers. "Great guy he is. And lastly that there, on the end, is Draco."
The sound of a familiar name rang through her ears and she whipped her gaze to the last person on the end of the line. And it really was him. There was no mistaking. The iconic white blonde hair, mercurial eyes and porcelain toned skin. Their gaze met and she felt like crying. He kept his face impassive, indifferent almost, if it wasn't for the minor clench of his jaw.
He knew her, she knew him.
What was he doing here? Wasn't this place supposed to be full of strangers? Wasn't she supposed to forget everything about where she came from, all the people she knew? And why did he still have his same name?
A warm hand was placed on her shoulder, yet she didn't turn her attention to who it was. She was too busy locked in a sort of stare-off with Draco. Slowly, her sense of hearing had returned, registering Cassi dismissing everyone and thanking them for their attendance and attention.
Draco's gaze flickered away from hers, like a signal, before turning away to follow Perri and Orion. Hermione glanced in the direction he indicated and saw Chamaeleon approaching her. She turned back to Draco who was passing through the door at the other side of the room, taking a small rectangular box from Perri before disappearing.
"I've wanted to train someone new for so long, I really can't wait!" He was bubbly and full of joy as he watched her face. "Uh, is everything alright, Iris?"
Hermione realized that she was still focused on the door which Draco left through. Her face must've looked slightly horrified yet relieved; she really didn't know what to do with her emotions right now. "I—I'm okay, everything is fine, still adjusting I guess."
She was quick to rearrange her facial expression, yet her mood was not up to the task.
He breathed out a sigh. "I can understand, it wouldn't be right if you felt at home straight away, I'd be a little sus honestly."
She smiled a little, he was just like Cas, understanding and comforting, not wanting to provoke her into any negative state.
"Well I'm here to walk you to surgery room and just prep you for what's to come after you've been changed," Chamaeleon gestured toward the door Draco had left through, "Shall we?"
Hermione started walking forward; Chamaeleon fell into step beside her once they passed through the frame.
"Okay, firstly, please feel free to call me Cam. Just like Aquila said, those of us with long names can be a bit of a mouthful when you need to talk or call out to us. Secondly, my role for you, once you've been changed, will be to act like a physiotherapist, you know, get you accustomed with the new enhancements to your body. I'll also be the one, along with Orion, to train you in combat and help you harness your abilities."
They passed through three long, winding hallways before reaching their door of their destination, SURGERY plated across in gold letters. On either side of the sign were two little round lights, one illuminated green on the left and on the right an unlit red.
"Just a foreword before I walk you in." Cam placed his hands on her shoulders. "You will feel the pain of the change not long after you've woken up, your enhanced body will burn off the morphine quicker than normal. But I will be there and so will Castor and a few others to keep you calm and talk you through it as you wake."
Her heart was beating so fast, she was ready to take off. Literally. She wanted to run in the other direction and find her room and lock herself in. Frightened was a little bit of an understatement to what she was feeling right at this moment. But she chose to remember Castor's words. She was going to get through this and then go home.
"You'll be fine, trust me." Chamaeleon soothed.
He stepped forward, stretched his arm over to the door knob. Everything felt like it dropped into slow motion. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Hermione squinted from the brightness of the room she was about to enter. Her sight blurred, standing there nervous and not wanting to step forward, till a dark figure came forward, taking her and guided her inside.
This was really going to happen.
.
Authors Note: Hey! It's all getting there slowly! It's actually slowly coming together now, through the introductions was where I suffered quite some writer's block but I got over it eventually. Thanks to those of you who have favourited the story so far, it means a lot to me (you've no idea!) I'll also start to put song recommendations for the upcoming chapters.
Evil Eye: I'm sure most of you may know about the charm. It's known in different cultures to protect an individual from dirty looks given from another, whether out of spite of jealousy/envy. My dad brought one back for me from his recent trip to Greece and it is gorgeous.
Chamaeleon: pronounced exactly like Chameleon, just with the extra letter. The ae kind of like an 'ay' sound. Pronounce it however you like, I really liked the unique spelling of the constellation, so that's why it's spelt that way.
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