Star-Crossed

Chapter 7

    The reflection that I see awes me. A delicate series of spirals and dots spread out to form a distinct shape of an intricate, fairylike crown. Unlike Meda's which was  faintly reddish brown, mine stands out in a bright scarlet. My lower back is decorated with tiny sunflowers, and a single star rests on the back of my neck.

     Yarrow, frowns, saying" I've never seen a Brand so vibrant, or so intricate. Brands are tied into the mind of the person they decorate, so this may show how complex you really are. The crown.... your named for the constellation right? The queen?" I nod, and he continues," Thats odd.... Lets go and see your brother."

     I am given a backless shirt to wear until the Brand sets. I feel almost naked, but with my new body i am confident enough to wear it. Meda saw my hesitaion at first and giggled" You know, you can wear whatever you want now your almost Acclimated, we can go shopping tomorrow maybe."

     I smile and nod, but I'm wary because I've never worn anything other than my dayclothes or the Valet uniform.

     We walk into an ajoining room to find Sage laughing with a pretty woman. She looks to be around our age, and has the most perfect brown ringlets  i have ever seen.She leans on his arm, cooing about how brave he is to not be fazed by the Brand.   

       When i chirp " Brother, how was your Branding?" she springs away and peeks at me sheepishly.

      " He did very well, and his Brand should have appeared by now." She peels off the metal, and reveals Sage's Brand. We all admire it, until he snapps at us to let him see it. He looks in the mirrors, and becomes just a mesmerized as i was. His mark is reminesque of the hieroglyphics we learned about in school, but interpersed in them are the outline of 3 arrows. His is not red, nor brown, but a deep blue.

       The woman takes this silence to introduce herself. "I am Ava, and this may seem awkward, but i know everything about you, and what you are going  thruough.I am an Acclimate of last year, only a year older than you, and I am to be Paired to Sage." I blankly stare at her, and have a little laugh.       

      " Well, Sage, you two seem to have gotten off to a good start."

     Its so funny to watch them both blush at the exact same time. Meda saves them by moving on.       " Come on kids, last stop before you are completely Acclimated. Follow."

     We , including Ava, follow her down a flight of stairs and into a room with 2 large tanks in it. Men with equitment dash over to us and begin to fasten electrodes, IV's, and sensors on us. We are put into black swimsuits,which was to Sage's embarrasment, seeing as Ava never left. Meda gives us a quick summary of the simulation. " What you will exactly see, i don't know. But you are going to be thrown into a series of your worst fears, and other dangerous situations. You will realize this is a simulation, but any pain you will feel in there is not going to effect your actuall bodies. Good luck." As she finishes her speech, we are given breathing tubes and dumped into the tanks. A digital voice tells us to take even breaths, and to relax.

     I feel consiousness slip away, a feeling i am odly familiar with now, and try to focus on passing this new test.

Sorry for the short chappie....