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Astrosa
Allyson
Chapter Five
Master Derrick was worried about Astrosa, for all his anger, so he went to see Dean Harailt for advice. An hour later, he sat in Harailt's den, drinking tea and discussing the problem. "Oh, she'd got potential all right!" he said sadly. "Unfortunately, she's too cocky to realize that she needs to be trained. It's strange; I think being locked up gave her an ego boost."
"But of course." said Harailt cheerily. "Locked up for being too powerful at a week old? That would give anyone confidence!" He looked at his magic control teacher and grew solemn. "Was it bad?" he asked softly.
"She blew up a three foot glass sphere. Glass shattered over the entire room. Half the class was cut. Does that sound severe?"
"I hate to send her back." Harailt confessed. "Such a young girl, locked up for something that's not even really her fault�" he trailed off with a sadness in his eyes. " But if she continues to endanger others, that's what I'll have to do. I can't let her make this an unsafe place." He looked pleadingly at Derrick. "Is there hope?"
"Oh, plenty of it." he said bitterly. " If she would accept that she has a lot to learn, there's plenty of hope." He got up with a groan. "Now, if only she'd do that."
*~*~*
That night the first of the dreams came:
Astrosa walked in an empty garden. It was unoccupied except for a black marble bench, upon which sat a man. The man had dark brown hair and sapphire eyes, glistening with a fierce light. His clothes were black silk, and he bore a neatly trimmed beard. Although she'd never seen him, instinct told Astrosa that this was her father.
"My sweet daughter." he said silkily. "You have come to me at last; you have realized your destiny."
Astrosa had no patience for mystery. "What destiny?" she snapped coldly.
"Surely you know." he said with mock surprise. "You are destined to conquer Tortall, in my name. In our name. That's why I made sure you were born."
Astrosa felt fear trickle into her heart for the first time in ages. "You lie." she said. "A person forms their own destiny."
"You would be a fool to believe that, and you know it." Roger said with a gleam in his eye. "You will conquer for me because that is what I want, what you want." he hissed. His voice became oily as he switched approaches. "These people give you nothing. You weren't made for friendship, only to destroy. You seek power, not love." He leaned over and touched her cheek, with fingers like ice. She felt white-hot pain run through her veins, and she screamed on and on.
Astrosa woke in a sweat-soaked frenzy. She waited for her heart to stop pounding and went to sleep. Her slumber was uninterrupted by more dreams.
*~*~*
Her dream left Astrosa quite shaken. She decided to try the puzzle exercise they'd done in Magic Control. Astrosa was embarrassed to realize that after all her bragging, it wasn't easy at all. In fact, she couldn't do it. The pieces got to the ceiling easily, but they wouldn't stop and arrange into the puzzle. When she skipped breakfast to practice, Neal came to talk to her.
"Having a bit of trouble?" he asked teasingly. Astrosa was in a bad mood for teasing.
"What do you know about it? You aren't even in my class!" she said moodily.
"Not this year." he answered. "I've got a few control tricks though." Emerald light surrounded her puzzle pieces, and they all slowly lifted off the ground. Once they got to the ceiling, Neal arranged them into the correct order. "Tada!" he said with a flourish.
"You think you're very wonderful, don't you?" Astrosa said angrily. Her wounded pride combined with shaking nerves made her lose all control over her words.
"What?" Neal said, looking confused and a little upset.
"You're just like a peacock! You like to show off your feathers, and you think you're better than everyone.
Now Neal was feeling hurt; he'd come in to help, and she was yelling at him. His temper flared, and he also lost control over his temper. "You're one to talk, aren't you? Nearly killing half your class trying foreign magic because you thought your work was too easy. Work it turns out-" he said with a slight smirk on his face now. "-you can't even do!"
Red light flared around Astrosa, weaker than normal because she'd been almost drained yesterday. "Get out." she said softly in that deadly whisper she usually used. Neal was trembling a bit at the sight, he hadn't forgotten her attempts on Galena.
"Fine." he said hoarsely and fled.
Astrosa collapsed on her bed as the red light disappeared, and began sobbing. She didn't go to meals after that, but began taking them in her room.
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