Begin Year Four

Adonia wandered the twilit halls of the Athenaeum aimlessly, staring at the ground and deep in thought. Classes for the new year -- her fourth year -- had not yet started, so she had taken the liberty of sleeping through the day for once to satisfy her nocturnal tendencies.

Still half asleep she wandered the halls thinking about the tournament. Severa had emerged victorious and was to be applauded for her achievement....but what would happen to the others... Would her friends disappear forever?

After a time, she finally looked up to see where she was, and found herself confronted by the large double-doors to the Athenaeum's ballroom. Looking around to be sure no-one was there, she pulled one of the doors open just enough for her to slip in.

After closing the door behind her, she turned to look at the scene before her. The heavy curtains were drawn blocking all light making the furniture loom in the shadows like islands. She tiptoed into the large room and sat down at one of the many tables, lighting a candelabra with a flick of her fingers.

Next year it would be her turn.... What if she lost?...

Kai looked up toward the candle-light starteled by the mere presence of another being. She was sitting in the darkest corner of the ballroom, just trying to stay out of anyones way, company was something she wasn't expecting.

Should I wait her out? She thought to herself. But decided to try to sneak away anyway, she would find some other place to think.

Adonia continued to sit, lost in thought until out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement in the shadows.

"Who's there!?" she called, forcing some authority into her voice to counteract the shudder that went down her spine. "Show yourself!"

Kai froze, crap. The girl had seen her. She should have waited her out.

"My name is Kai," she said and let her inner fire shine for a few moments, her gift from Hestia, so that she could be seen clearly.

Adonia relaxed as the girl came into view, curious about the strange glow she seemed to be generating from within herself.

"I'm Adonia" she replied standing and giving a small bow. "Fourth year siren of Hera."

"Second year, Charis of Hestia." Kai felt the need to give her title after Adonia did. She mimiced how Adonia had bowed.

"Pleased to meet you," she murmered, trying to think of something to say.

"I heard that... the sirens are trying to get a music room for the Atheneaum, I know my friend Seti would love that..."

Adonia had to fight not to wince at the mention of music. Having an uncontrollable singing voice known to drive men to their deaths, she had never been able to sing freely.

"Oh yes," she said smiling cheerfully so as not to hurt Kai's feelings. "We have been hoping for a place for all the musicians to hone their skills for a while now."

Kai was confused by Adonia's curt but polite response, weren't sirens supposed to love singing?
"I guess I'll be going, nice to meet you Adonia," she said wiht a small smile.

((You put your foot in your mouth now Kai =3=))

Adonia mentally cursed herself, as the younger lady began to leave. She must not have masked her discomfort with music very well.

"Wait..." she said jogging to catch up with the charis. "I'm sorry" she said, hesitating a moment before continuing. "I just have some... er... unfortunate complications with singing." She said wringing her hands and smiling nervously.

"Say..." she said suddenly remembering how suddenly the girl had appeared. "Oh dear... Were you doing something here? Did I interrupt you?"

"That's ok, it was my fault for assuming. I guess that was a little... speciesist of me," Kai said and chuckled self-conciously.

"No I was just sitting, thinking. The ballroom's usually a quiet place whn there isn't anything going on," she said and smiled, she was under the immpression that Adonia felt the same way. But she didn't want tot assume anything else about the Siren, so she asked, "What were you doing here?"

"Think nothing of it" the siren said with a silvery laugh. "I'm sorry. I'm just a tad ...er.... sensitive about singing I guess. Its not your fault." she smiled.

"Well..." she hesitated. "I guess I was feeling a bit worried." she said thinking it over. "After the tournament... I just... a great friend of mine... lost... and I don't know if I'll ever see him again." she said smiling sheepishly.

"Wha-what happens to the people who don't win the tournament?" Kai asked the question she had been fearing. She had tried to keep it offf her mind wiht the thought that Hestia wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. But Adonis was worried about her friend, her friend she hadn't seen....

"Well.... from what I can tell, they're just sent back to where they came from.... but I think...." though she kept smiling, her eyes grew sad. "I think their memory of this place is erased...." she finished. "T-though I have heard that some are allowed to stay as guards or slaves if they choose to..... I just... I just don't know what he chose." She smiled.

"E-erased?" Kai thought about that for awhile.. that meant that when she lost, and it was a when, a charis had never won, she would go back to living on the street, hiding from anyone who would see her wings and have their own greed drive them, or worse back to that circus, to be nothing more than a carnival freak.

"What happens if you win?" Hestia's explanation had been quite general, a safe place to train and practice and the hope of becoming a legend. She stared at Adonia, waiting for an answer she was smiling, but her eyes looked so bleak, and dull, like the light was gone, the fire gone. Kai wished helplesly that she could make her feel better, but it seemed she only made the girl more and more sad.

"If you win" Adonia said quietly. "You are given a permanent place here in the Athenaeum and immortality if you wish to have it." She thought about it a moment. "The two runners up get to stay as well but are not blessed with immortality..."

"Oh," an immortal at the end of every year, that seemed a bit.. much. But who was she to tell the gods what to do?

"Thank you, Adonia." She said and gave a small smile, all she could muster after having the information she had wanted.

"Its all right" Adonia said patting her shoulder gently. "Are you all right?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice. "You look a bit upset."

"It all just seems a bit pointless," Kai said.

Adonia's smile faltered for a moment. "Yes it does, doesn't it?" she said gently. "It hardly seems fair... the strain they put on us.... its rather cruel really" she said, her eyes dropping to look at the floor for a moment -- unfocused as if seeing something in the distance. "But at least we all get to meet each other and have a some time away from our original lives eh?" she said with a sad smile.

"I guess it is the chance of a life-time." Kai smiled a meloncholy smile for all the warriors who hadn't won, who had lost themselves.

"That it is." Adonia said nodding. "Its just a shame we're pitted against our friends.... our family really..." She sighed and stretched a bit. "Anyway, what say we go try to bribe a snack from the cook?" she said with a sly grin.

Kai nodded and smiled. "I could go for a snack," she didn' see the harm in befriending Adonia seeing as how they were in different years, but would she have to morn this new friend after her tournament?

Adonia smiled slyly. "All right then" she said taking the younger girls hand and pulling her along behind her. "To the kitchens then!" she said as she began to trot down the hall.

((kitchen, kitchen... I see a mess hall =3=))

((yeah that will do XD I believe I've seen people do kitchen RPs in there))