My secret room

((This is after the party))

Tahi entered Hestia's temple quietly. She looked up at the large statue on the alter. There was her lady's face - but it seemed lacking the warmth that always danced in Hestia's eyes - the glow of her skin - that aura of kindness that made everyone feel like things were going to be okay.

"I'm back, Milady" she said quietly, kneeling. "Forgive me for missing the ceremony. You know how my brother is with dates and things. But we did it. We saved those families, just as you asked. Kal even did something to the weather so that their harvests would be better this year, to make up for the crops those rampaging minotaurs destroyed." She rummaged into her travel bag and pulled out a stick of incense. She lit it.

"A gift - from the villagers whose lives we saved. They thank you for our care." She lit another stick.
"And a gift from me - thank you for your continued blessing."

She prayed a while longer. Then stood up. She pulled out of her travel bag a small key. She moved behind the alter to a wall draped with a long tapestry. When she pulled it aside a door was revealed. This was her secret. Only Hestia, her brother and Mnemosyne knew that this room existed. She unlocked it, and entered. It was a small room, dark, and full of the scent of old incense. Lighting the candles on the walls revealed three small statues - Horus, Isis, and Hathor. Tahi lit another stick of incense, and placed it in front of the three statues. "Gods of my mother's people. I thank you for your blessing and your guidance as well."

She prayed in silence a little longer, before blowing out the candles, locking the door, and leaving.

((I hope that she totally left the temple o.O))

Augustin was just goind back to his room. He was tired. There was that party, and he just failed in the dancing. He sighed. That really wasn't his day. He was just in Apollo's temple, but without any result, because Apollo was in the party. And that would be nonsense if he would pray to the God, so he left and went to sleep. He planned to come back tomorrow.

Well, he just wanted to go to sleep. He didn't looked around, and he just ran at Tahi.

His first reaction was to step back. At least three step. He thought about her brother.

"Sorry, uh... Tahi" he apologized.

Tahi was heading back to her room with her head down silently debating. Is Severa going to be in the room, she wondered. Is Kal going to be in his? She sighed. Probably. He'd even asked her to remove some of her dresses from his closet. It seemed he might be staying awhile... Tahi loved her brother, she really did, but sometimes he could be... so overbearing! It was nice when he wasn't around - and when he wasn't she could use his room whenever she wanted - avoiding the Severa problem. Oh well - knowing him - he'll be gone soon anyway. But for now it's probably best to go back to my room. She turned the corner towards the warriors chambers and - smack - she knocked straight into Agustin.

"Oh" she said, looking up. "I'm sorry - I wasn't watching where I was going!" When he recognized her he jumped back a good three feet.

There was a look of slight terror in his eyes as he mumbled an apology.

Tahi's eyes narrowed. She recognized this behavior. "My brother threatened you, didn't he?" Not waiting for a response she turned to the winds, asking them to carry her brother's words to her. They refused - which was all she needed to know. Only Kal, or one of the great god's was able to scare the winds from talking to HER.

"Oh! When I find him! If he thinks I'm taking my dresses out of his room now he has another think coming! I'm gonna take all of his clothes so he has to wear one of my dresses until he can find something else - I swear it!" Tahi paused in her rant to look at Augustin, who was still watching her warily. She blushed.

"Sorry. He does that a lot, and it's kind of frustrating. He's just blowing smoke. Mnem would never let him hurt a student - and he likes Mnem. Don't pay too much attention to him. Severa's the only other fifth year, and we don't really get along." She sighed, closing the gap between them. "I was hoping we could be friends - seeing as we're both children of the skies" she finished, smiling while a breeze played between her fingers, her eyes fading to pale white.

Augustin blinked. Twice. Then he smiled. Tahi was much more kinder without his brother. However her brother wouldn't be a problem, the only disadvantageous thing was that he hated him. He wasn't bad in the wind magic at all, and he never touched Tahi, but because something he hated him. Even because he didn't know what's lord Kallistrates, but he didn't wanted to make any problem in his last year.

He sighed. He wanted to find a peacy voice with the professor, but that wasn't so easy. But now he was able to speak with Tahi.

He smiled back. "I would be happy if we could become friends. That's always better than become enemys because the final fight." he said in a bloomy voice. He hated to think to this fight. Probably that was the reason why Severa hated him so much.

"I think you just wanted to go to your quarter. I was going to go to bed to, so we could go to the quarters together" he asked.

Tahi grinned at him. "I was wasn't I?" she giggled. "I can be so absent minded sometimes... Avoiding Severa can be hard work. We're roommates and we don't always play nicely together." Tahi paused. "Okay - we've never played nicely together - even since we were first years. I was so excited to have a roommate - my first female friend - and then she turned out to be... well Severa." She sighed. "But at least I can sneak into my brother's room when he's gone!"

They started walking towards the warrior's quarters. Tahi thought for a moment. "You're the only fifth year boy right? Does that mean you don't have a roommate?"

"So far, yes. It's a little hard, though" August mumbled "I can't really talk with the other boys, because they have their own problems, so there are just girls, what is a little annoying sometimes" he sighed. "Please don't misunderstand this." he said. They walked in without talking for a while.

"It could be strange that you're here with your brother. I mean, that you have a part of your family here." Augustin said quietly. "And don't worry about Severa, probably she will finf out what the friendship meens." he thought to the girl. Probably she will find it out...

"It's not a little bizarre that you can use your brother's room - who is a boy - as your's?" he asked with a strange look.

"So you mean you don't like living in a practical harem?" Tahi joked, smiling at him.

She considered his words for a moment - she supposed that to the outside eye her relationship with her brother would seem rather odd. Tahi blushed sheepishly. "Well - I really only use Kal's room when he travels. And since that's practically all the time - it's not too much of a big deal," she responded.

"But Kal and I have a special relationship." She paused. "And not in the Egyptian way," she added winking. "He saved me when I was a very little girl - and then, because I was really too young to come here - he took me with him when he traveled. Maybe that's why I sneak into his room all the time. When I was little I always used to sleep cuddled next to him. It was comforting - especially after.. what happened." She paused, as if remembering something painful. Her voice had lost its usual airy tone. "Kal was almost a father to me some ways." Tahi wrinkled her nose. Imagining Kal as a father. "Okay maybe not as a father - but he was there for me. He taught me about the world, and about myself. I guess I'm luckier than a lot of the Athenaeum, because he's here - even if his protective tendencies can be a little annoying." Tahi sighed.

"He won't stop Severa from picking on me though. Wind and fire - he says. Complimentary elements. You both would make a fearsome team if you chose to work together - he says." Psht... "As if. And as for her finding friendship - I doubt that will happen anytime soon. There are reasons she acts the way she does. She hasn't gotten over them just yet."

Tahi wondered if she should tell Augustin about Sev's past. The winds had carried bits and pieces to her, and from Sev's actions and behaviors, Tahi had pieced together the rest. But maybe that was a secret best kept - for now. "But that's not my story to tell - I suppose."

She considered for a moment. "What about you Augustin? You've obviously met my brother - and again - sorry for his overprotective tendencies. Do you have any siblings?"

"Lucky you" Augustin sighed. He thought about his childhood, and sighed again. After this it was one of his nightmares to have a room on his own.

"I don't know if i had any siblings" he turned to Tahi "My mother never let me go outside my room. For years. She hasn't talked with me, and she hasn't let me see anything. Probably the only thing why i'm alive it's her belief. She believed more in the Gods, that wanted to kill me." Augustin looked down on his feet. He hated that subject, but if the girl tall him, than he couldn't lie.

He carried on the story "One day Apollon saw me and gave me a chance to participate. That was the best thing in my life. Freedom, probably friends, and something to live." he smiled to the stars, then they walked without saying anthig.

Augustin thought about Severa. He didn't knew what to think about her. She could be a very good fighter, but she had a stymy before her success. "About Severa... i hope she can find out soon what is good for her" he said quietly "She would have chance to win if she would listen to others."

He turned his face. He didn't wanted to talk abot that "Yeah, it's anough strange your relationship with your brother. But that i live alone in my room shouldn't be common, so i don't say anything" he smiled.

They were nearing the hall where the warriors slept, turning onto the gravel pathway that lead up the to the building in silence. Tahi studied Augustin carefully.

There's more to him than meets the eye she thought to herself. But he obviously doesn't want to talk about it - and that's his right. I'll let it go for now, and we'll see if the winds can tell me anything later. Time for fun bubbly Tahi to come back.

She looked at him with an evil grin on her face. "You're awfully quick to champion Sev you know. You wouldn't happen to have a crush on her, now would you?"she said with her best innocent-yet-evil look.

"What?!" Augustin jumped back suddenly. He looked with a you-really-think-that-about-me look to Tahi. He was in shock. He took a long breath, and calmed himself. Girls... They always thinks the worst.

He stepped back near Tahi "Look... " he started seaching the words "I don't feel anything from these feeling that you talk about" he said with quiet and balanced words. "I spent more time with Severa than with you - because that was the Gods will - so it's obvious that i know more about her." Augustin thought about his words.

But he would never forgot his about own powers. He was here to make friends, learn and like the others - win. But he couldn't forget about to learn more and more. It was his fate's will.

Tahi smirked at him. "Suuuuree. Whatever you say." Tahi didn't quite believe him, but he was entitled to his own opinion. There was, however one thing that seriously bugged her about what he told her.

She turned to Augustin. "But I will disagree with you about one thing. I make my own destiny. The gods have their wills and they certainly have a lot of influence, but in the end - I make my own decisions. The only fate I have is the one I make for myself. That is something I truly believe. Maybe its the human in me - but there you go"