"I can do all that?"
"Yeah – you even made it rain a couple of times. Of course, most of the time it was an accident but -"
"Tell me more," Irma interrupted, eager to learn more about the subject.
Caleb had been telling Irma what her powers were. At first, she seemed uninterested, but once he went on about what she could do, well, that perked the brunette's interest.
They continued the excited chatter (well, on Irma's side at least) as they headed towards the Guardian's old practice spot. They didn't use it anymore after Irma's supposed death, instead started to practice in Meridian.
"So, I could drain a lake if I wanted too?"
"Yep."
"Cause a hurricane?"
"Probably."
"Flood a town?"
"You're really excited about these powers, I see."
"Would I drown underwater?"
"I don't think so. Your element is like your own body, it works in accordance to your thoughts and needs. If you don't want to drown, then you won't."
"And what about you?" She added, glancing at him curiously. Caleb resisted the small shudder that her icy eyes gave him. He added a mental note to investigate that later, for only people with something to hide had eyes like that. He thoughts traveled to Nerrisa, who often harbored such hate and blood-lust in her eyes... but Irma wasn't like that. She barely remembered anything, how can she be hiding anything?
"Huh?"
"What about you? Do you have powers?" She asked again, but this time looked away, as if sensing his uncomfortableness.
"No, but I don't need them." He said with a small chuckle. "I'm the rebel leader, Elyon's most favored knight, and just about the coolest guy you'll meet."
She didn't say anything to that, not even a slight smile (he was hoping for a laugh, but anything would do) she just looked away and coasted her blue eyes downward. He could tell she was simply thinking, but it irked him, and he felt that he must ask the question that bothered him so.
"You said you came from Firekan?"
"Yes. What about it?"
"Its just that...well, there had been rumors that there are assassins that roamed there – very deadly, assassins. Is it true?"
Irma debated answering him.
"That king there, uh.. Ken?-"
"Kleos. He likes to keep his region under tight-lock, no one gets in, no one gets out. Thats what my 'parents'" She put emphasis on the word by dragging it out, "told me. It goes for anyone and everyone – I saw a few rebels from Meridian meet their untimely ends there."
"Explains why the scouts we sent never came back," Caleb growled. "That bastard Kleos..." He bunched up his fist, while Irma watched slightly taken aback by his silent anger. "He just wants to take over Metamoor so that he can be the almighty ruler, and reek havoc on Meridian and Metamoor without any obstruction. Which isn't hardly as bad as what he will do to us if it ever happened."
Thats not true... Irma found herself thinking, shaking her head at Caleb's ignorance. Kleos said he would conquer and liberate Metamoor. Still, she couldn't help but to think about how he had said he must first "rid" Metamoor of the rebels and Meridianites.
But Kleos was her king, and probably the closet thing she had to a father.
It was her life now. She was faithful to Firekan, Kleos, and her duty as an assassin. It was all she ever truly knew. She may have been a guardian, but that was long ago, forgotten, and she planned to keep it that way.
After all... its not like they truly wanted her anyway. They left her for dead.
"Huh." She said simply, choosing not to mirror her thoughts. "I guess so."
/./././././././././././././
"This is it," He announced, gesturing to the surrounding environment. Irma wasn't impressed. She kicked a small pebble, watching it bounce around the desolate underpass. It was under the Heatherfield bridge, a pathway that looked like it was used once, but abandoned years ago. Dry yellow grass grew over the concrete, and the bridge supports were cracked and riddled with graffiti. Nearby was the river.
"You guys practiced...here?" She said with slight disbelief.
"Heh heh, yeah." Caleb answered, feeling slightly embarrassed. He never noticed how run down the place has gotten since they last practiced, but five years was a long time.
"What are their powers, exactly?" She asked, gently touching the walls. Under various graffiti, the cement was blackened, as if once scorched. Irma briefly wondered what powers those witches truly held.
What power I hold.
"Well, Will – the leader, controls quintessence. Hay Lin, air. Shes nice, but deadly with those winds. Cornelia, well, she's vain but smart. She controls earth, but don't underestimate her," He said with a smirk. "And Taranee, the smartest. She controls fire."
"And I control water." Irma finished. "Sounds simple." She sat down on a rock and traced the dirt with her fingers. "They don't practice here anymore?"
"No. Ever since... you 'died', they ceased practicing, and even fighting for a good while. It had became dangerous."
So the Guardians have limits, she thought to herself. That's good to know.
"Then the war broke out. To protect Meridian, they immediately jumped into the fray."
She said nothing to this, only stared around at the waste that covered the area.
"You know," He started, looking at the graffiti, also trying to avoid eye contact. "You were their best friend, and they were yours. They loved you, Irma. And still do, I bet. " She just scuffed lightly, turning away.
If they loved me, why didn't they come back for me? Why did they leave me in Firekan?
What did she care why they didn't? This whole mission was starting to hit to close to home...
But the fact that she had really been loved... scratch that, had friends? There was certainly none of that in Firekan. The closet she had to a friend there was Violet – and it was only because she was the only other girl she knew. Even still, Violet would laugh at her if she had asked for companionship – that kind of thing just wouldn't fit in to the assassin life.
But here, everything was different.
It doesn't matter if its different or not. She reminded herself. Its just like any other mission. \
"About these powers..." She started again.
"Try to form a ball of it, or something." He guessed, shrugging. She was less dismissive, however, staring at him with a less-then-amused scowl.
"What?" He asked, clueless. "Think of something watery."
"Wow, that clears everything up for me, thanks." She drawled. What a fool, she thought, smirking. Now, to think of something pertaining to water...easy right? Oceans, rivers, waterfalls, oceans, rivers, waterfalls...
She thought of the pictures repetitively, and soon enough, a vivid picture of the clear liquid seemed to pop into her mind. At first, it captivated her. There was something about it... something she couldn't remember, she couldn't touch it what it was, about the element. It hid something from her. But what it was, the nature of it, and how to get it back, was lost on her.
She remembered the cool feel of it on her skin – even as an assassin, she was known to take long baths. There was something about water the calmed her, and took her from reality. Even now, she felt the wet tendrils caress her face – not drowning her, but enveloping her in a loving embrace. She remembered it – water was always kind to her. It wasn't just an thing anymore, it was alive! She remembered that...
"Irma! You're doing it!" Caleb's excited exclamation broke Irma's concentration. She was shocked back into reality by the splash of frighteningly cold water that crashed over her head.
Caleb try not to laugh at the sight – the poor brunette was soaking wet with a dumbfounded expression on her face. There was a few awkward seconds where neither dared to move, but Caleb could not hold it in any longer. As he erupted in a fit of laughter, she pushed the wet hair out her face with distaste, staring daggers at Caleb. She stood up and let out a small 'humph' before storming away. She wasn't going anywhere in particular, but she was getting away from him. There was something about that boy, he seemed to annoy the living hell out of her, but enough that she tolerates it. Whats with that? I would usually dispose of a pest like that easily back home, She mused.
"Hey, wait up!" He called after her. She walked faster. He kept up, to her dismay.
"You forgot your jacket." He finally huffed. Irma stopped, snatching it from him. "Thanks," She mumbled, feeling slightly bad for leaving him behind.
"I guess practice is over," He said, digging his hands into his pockets as he walked. "You know... its hard to believe its actually you. That you're really alive. Its just..."
"Unbelievable?" She finished, as she pulled her hood up to cover her wet head. "The feeling is mutual. Imagine how I felt when the life I was living had been a lie – Going from what I thought was normal to this... its all a lot to take in."
"No kidding," He agreed. "That's probably how it felt when you first became a guardian, too."
"Probably." She started, but stopped short. They had finally reached the main streets, and both were surprised to see a girl running straight for them. Irma had to resist the urge to immediately get away from the situation, and could only pull her hood over her head as a weak attempt to conceal herself.
The girl had short red hair and stunning brown eyes, and looked at like she would run right through them if she didn't slow down.
"Caleb!" She yelped. "Where were you?" She accused, pointing her finger into his chest. "You missed the presentation." She lowered her voice to a small hiss, obviously noticing Irma's presence. "You know you were supposed to help us close that portal! We got our asses handed to us."
Irma raised an eyebrow to the redhead's tone of voice, but didn't press the matter.
"Oh, yeah." Caleb smacked his head. "I'm sorry Will, that was really irresponsible of me. Something important came up, and I really had my hands full."
Will glared at him undeterred, obviously not ready to accept his apology. Irma cleared her throat, and looked away from the arguing couple, keying Caleb to get on with it.
Will finally looked away from Caleb to stare at Irma, and cocked her head slightly.
"Have we met before?" She asked, her brown eyes inspecting the brunette.
"No." Irma said colorlessly, returning the stare relentlessly. Will looked away promptly, taking Caleb by the collar and sweetly told Irma that she needed to borrow Caleb for a sec.
Irma nodded slightly, a small smile formed on her lips. So that's the leader, huh? Not so fearless after all.
She could hear the redhead's frantic whispering to Caleb, who coolly responded without the worry that Will clearly had.
"Who is that?"
"A friend from Meridian. Don't worry, shes just a little standoffish, thats how they are where she came from."
"You can't just bring people from Meridian, Caleb, its against the rules-"
"I know, I know. She's a refugee from the war, she had no where else to go. Its just a couple days, okay?"
"Okay, Caleb, don't make me regret this." She whispered urgently before turning back to face Irma.
"Well, its nice to meet you," Will said with a plastic smile, the young assassin could tell that the guardian leader was conflicted about Caleb's choice of companionship.
"Likewise," Irma drawled, giving a meek nod.
"May I ask why you're erm...wet?"
"Had an run-in with the Heatherfield river."
Caleb snickered quietly, catching the warning eye of both women.
"Well, I need to get going. The girls and I are meeting at the Silver Dragon soon, and I have a done of homework to catch up on." She said, back away and waving at the couple before continuing her trot down the street.
"Let me guess. That was the almighty Will, guardian leader?" Irma asked, watching the girl disappear in the distance.
"She's got a lot on her hands, with the war and only four guardians. Not to mention school. She's a busy girl." He answered.
The sun had just disappeared behind the buildings of Heather field, leaving Caleb and Irma walking in a dimly lit twilight. The river reflected the invisible sun, and seemed to entrance Caleb, who gazed at it quietly. Irma could tell that he was in deep thought. Her own gaze traveled towards a nearby rooftop, where something sat on it, making the silhouette of the building oddly shaped. She squinted her eyes to see closer, and realized it was Violet. They made a brief eye contact before Irma looked away and turned to Caleb.
"Hey, I have to go."
"What? Really? Where?" He asked, surprised. "I mean, you only just got here. You can't have somewhere to be so soon."
"I said I'd meet the other Irma. I'll find you later." She responded, ignoring all his questions. She abruptly turned and walked away, leaving Caleb in his jumbled thoughts.
By the time he noticed she left, he could only see her turn and disappear around the corner.
"Hey – wait!" He shouted, running after her. He reached the corner she sped around, but she was long gone.
Where'd she go?
/./././././././././././
"So, let me get this straight. As a guardian, you "killed" by FROST?"
"Yes. Unbelievable right?"
Violet laughed. The thought of Angel- er, Irma, dying by the hand of that big and slow brute just tickled her so. "And to think, Nerrisa and her sorry knights were actually beating you guys. The guardians aren't as dangerous as I thought."
"That was a few years ago," Irma countered. "And one battle. For all we know, the guardians on all other occasions wiped the floor with them."
"That's true." Violet kicked her legs against the side of the building. It was pretty high up, but it didn't even daunt the two women as they conversed. It was in the evening hours of the day, and Irma had slipped out of Caleb's sight to meet up with her fellow assassin. Now, they watched the streets, lit red and white by the few cars that probably traveled home for the end of the day.
"Did you learn anything else?"
Irma only smiled slightly. "I met the guardian leader."
"Oh really? Was she as vicious and war-loving as we thought?"
"Not even." Irma laughed. "She just seems to be a normal teenaged girl. A little bossy, but not nearly as dangerous as we thought."
"Good," Violet projected, keeping her eyes on the distant cars. "Then they'll be easier to take care of."
"Yeah.." Irma trailed off, turning away from traffic to stare at the restaurant that she remembered as the Silver Dragon. There were four girls crowded around a table talking and eating, with smiles and laughs. Irma reocnized Will – that red head of hair was hard to miss. The other three – the small asian girl that was in her flashback, a blond tall girl, and a dark-skinned girl with purple hair, looked familiar. The old lady – Yan Lin – came around with another plate of steaming food, much to the girls pleasure.
Irma felt her own stomach growl, and she looked on slightly envious. Not just of their food, but of their friendship. The friendship she may have had once.
Violet noticed her distress. "I know this mission is hard for you," She said, moving her purple hair into a ponytail. "But stay focused. Remember who your allegiance is with. They are the enemy, no matter how much they smile, laugh, and seem to love you." She stood up.
Caleb's words from earlier that day came back to Irma. "He just wants to take over Metamoor so that he can be the almighty ruler, and reek havoc on Meridian and Metamoor without any obstruction. Which isn't hardly as bad as what he will do to us if it ever happened."
"Do you think Kleos is right for wanting to this?" She asked Violet. Violet narrowed her eyes and turned.
"I don't think about it too much. That's how people get executed," She only said warningly, before disappearing into the night.
/././././././././././././
Hay Lin giggled slightly. Cornelia continued to rant over how much she hates Caleb for not showing up at the last battle, and it was sort of funny in her opinion.
"And then I broke a nail! He'll pay for this, I swear it." She finished with a small frown, and her lips playfully pouting out.
"I caught up with him afterschool," Will added. "He was with some other girl – a 'friend' from Meridian."
"A 'friend'?" Taranee asked, interested now. "Must be a really important friend if Caleb missed a battle for her."
"Must have been," Cornelia muttered.
"I don't know. She was realllly creepy. I said hi, and she just stared at me all cold-like. I had to look away, it gave me the shivers."
"What'd she look like?"
"Well, she had a hood on – but all I could see was brown hair and really blue eyes. She was kind of familiar."
"Wow," Taranee breathed. It almost as if she saw-
"Hey Irma!" Hay Lin called to the front of the store. The altemere had just walked in, and waved enthusiastically.
"Hey guys," She huffed, seeming tired for some reason. "Has anyone seen that exchange student I've been walking with anywhere? I can't find her."
"I saw Caleb leave with her this morning," Yan Lin said as she passed by, carrying a few plates of food expertly. "I don't know if they came back yet."
"Thanks Yanny!" The altermere waved to the crew and promptly left.
"I wonder if that "exchange student" is the same girl Will met," Taranee inquired.
"Maybe.. then why would Irma know her, too? I mean... she's just an altemere. She doesn't go to Meridian unless it's with us."
"And Caleb doesn't usually talk to Irma, anyway, much less share a person in common."
"I smell a mystery."
"Then the guardian's are on it!" Hay Lin announced with a wide smile.
Will nodded with a brief smile, before addressing the table again.
"Here's the plan..."
/././././././././.
Yay! I finally updated :D so yeah, basically the next chap will be Irma getting exposed :o How will the Guardian's take it? What will happen to the Altemere? How will Irma survive a day of ….(gasp) SCHOOL? Read and Review! I love reviews T-T