Jasmine and I were still chuckling about Vanessa's reaction when we went down to dinner. Truthfully, I was both proud and shocked by my ability to stand up to her, considering my past experiences. Perhaps my newly 'awoken' powers had also blessed me with a newly found confidence?
That was a possibility.
As soon as we entered the dining hall, we stopped talking, gazing around us in wonder. The walls were made of stone and fixed to them were old-fashioned lights, which gleamed in the semi-darkness. Furthermore, the same lights, but in bigger form, hung from the ceiling in groups of eight and then, dangling from these lights, was the most fantastic feature of the whole hall. Countless flags, all different colours and bearing different power marks, like the one on my hand, shimmered in an unseen breeze. These power marks looked almost alive, as the light from the ancient candles fell onto the soft silk. In the distance, I saw my mark, so life-like I thought that I made out the wave gently tumbling on an ocean current.
As I walked through the hall, either side of me were long tables where many students had already gathered and were waiting for dinner to be announced. They were also talking in hushed friendship groups about events that had passed or gossiping. It was Raphael who broke my trance, as he called the two of us over to where he was sitting.
Soon, we sat down either side of his frame.
"So...how's your roommate?" I asked him, grinning, occasionally glancing around the room to take in the unbelievable presence of such an enormous space.
Raphael laughed.
"You know what," he said, smiling. "For someone named Lucifer, I think that he's an alright guy."
"What makes you think that?" Jasmine asked him.
Again, Raphael chuckled, before he delivered his verdict.
"Well...you know the teenager who was part of our group when we first met - the one who was seriously ripped?"
Both Jasmine and I nodded.
"Yeah," I replied, "I remember him. He was the boy who constantly looked as if he was going to snap you in half any second. Is he Lucifer?"
Raphael nodded.
"Yeah, that's him," he answered. "Well, obviously strength's his power. He almost crushed my hand when we greeted each other. However, deep down, I think he's pretty decent."
I frowned.
"Why's that?" I asked. "He sure as hell gives off the opposite impression."
Raphael laughed once more, before speaking.
"Well...let's just say that I did a little snooping when he was in the shower earlier and I came across a very interesting leaflet amongst his stuff."
As soon as he had finished, my heart fluttered. The feelings of excitement and anticipation flooded through my veins, before another weird emotion encompassed me. It was the kind of sensation you get just before secrets are laid bare – secrets that are supposed to be kept hidden. Raphael lowered his voice, grinning like a naughty child, before he looked around to see that no one was listening in. Seeing that the coast was clear, he revealed all.
"I believe that secretly, Lucifer's a right softy at heart, for the leaflet was all about the RSPCA."
At hearing this news, Jasmine and I exchanged amazed glances. From Lucifer's bulky physique and powerful presence, I couldn't get my head around what Raphael was saying.
"No way," I replied, "there must be a mistake. No way does he look like the kind of person who enjoys cuddling and helping cute cats and dogs. He's more likely to crush them instead with his huge hands."
Raphael shrugged.
"I'm just relating what I saw."
I was about to continue in my amazement when the sound of sharp clapping could be heard. The clapping came from the high table at the end of the hall. It was Mrs Sampson (who I later found out taught Citizenship) and, every head, including mine, turned in her direction. Before long, all students within the room, including me, began to join Mrs Sampson as the other professors of the academy and the headmaster entered the hall. Ultimately, they reached their individual seats and sat down.
As soon as my eyes had rested on the elegantly decorated, high table, I scanned each face in turn. In the far left hand corner was a man who had a stern expression, matted, damp hair and sharp, blue eyes. Next to him was a woman with soft features, dressed in a blue and yellow flowery dress, with a red hair band and short, raven hair. (Due to her soft features and dress style, she reminded me of 'Snow White').
Alongside her was Mrs Sampson and then, to her right, sitting in a large, intricate, carved chair, was the oldest man in the room. He had unfathomable eyes and wore a very thoughtful and profound expression. Immediately, I recognised him as being the almighty Vladimir Alcaeus and I actually shook in excitement and awe as I studied his features. He seemed to ooze power and authority, despite his age.
Moving on, I flicked my gaze to the stern person sitting the other side of him. She was an older woman with sharp, severe features and the build of an ox. By studying her, my guess was that she taught PE. Therefore, I realised, especially because of her powerful build, that I better not get on the wrong side of her or so help me god. All the same, the person sitting beside ox woman couldn't have been more opposite in size and appearance and I actually laughed silently to myself, imagining them as a comedy double act.
This person was a young man who could only have been a few years older than Jack. He was very slim and he gave off a calm quality about him, as he gazed pensively around the hall with a relaxed interest. As I flicked my eyes casually back to my fellow students, I could immediately tell he was the hot favourite amongst the females, who were all admiring him with dreamy expressions. Nevertheless, out of the professors who sat upon that table, it was the final woman who interested me the most.
This woman was also young, around the same age as the dreamboat professor sitting to her right. She was stunningly beautiful, although this wasn't in the normal sense, for she had an unusualness about her looks and was dressed like a gothic angel, which was emphasised by her long, lacy, black dress. Much like the adoring female fans who fawned over the young male professor, many of the males, including Raphael, studded her with equally wistful glances, causing surprisingly envious emotions to rise in the pit of my stomach. Finally, this professor had long, snow-white hair which fell to her waist, something that heightened her seriously pale complexion and possessed sharp, icy blue eyes. It was these eyes which, once they met mine, caused my body to jolt unpleasantly.
As soon as our gazes locked, I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach by an icy hand and my body began to shiver and twitch uncontrollably. As much as I tried too, I felt powerless to break the spell she had over me. Gradually, as the connection lengthened, I soon began to feel ill. I felt as if she was searching my very existence.
It was Mrs Sampson who saved me.
Just before I felt like I was going to be violently sick then and there, in front of the whole academy, Mrs Sampson began to speak. Instantly, as if it had never happened, the sickness vanished.
The hold she had over me was broken.
As soon as it was gone, I refused to meet the mysterious woman's gaze again, although I could feel her eyes boring into the side of my face, willing me to look at her once more. After a few moments, I felt her gaze lift, for she now fixed it on a talkative Mrs Sampson. Inwardly, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Then, taking a deep breath to calm my pounding heart and rocketing stomach, I fixed my gaze permanently on Mrs Sampson, now listening to what she had to say.
"That's better," she exclaimed, once the whispered mutterings had stopped, not long after she had finished clapping. After a few moments, I realised that her voice was far louder than it had been when we first met, as it now appeared to carry into every nook and cranny of the hall. Therefore, I realised that she had the power of sonic voice, which was AWESOME.
Her words brought me back to reality.
"Now," she continued, "the headmaster of the academy would like to say a few words, before we start eating. And so, please bring your hands together once again, in a round of applause, for the incredible and highly respected Vladimir Alcaeus."
As soon as his name had been announced, Vladimir rose with an authoritative grace, before acknowledging all with a short, curt nod. Then, he addressed everyone in a voice that was filled with a powerful resonance.
"Thank you Mrs Sampson for your kind words," Vladimir began, his eyes swirling with many colours and he threw us a delighted beam. "And thank you all for working so hard each and every day on your studies, as well as on your more mystical talents (his eyes suddenly flashed gold, as if to emphasise his point and I, along with everyone who sat closest to the high table, gasped in amazement). I say this because I've heard many positive reports, over the past few weeks, saying that your commitment to and enthusiasm for each lesson has been fantastic."
Once Vladimir had finished this introduction, he paused momentarily, to allow people to clap again. When the clapping had died away, after he raised his wizened hand for silence, he continued on with his speech, his eyes twinkling with a thousand emotions.
"However, as I scan the faces of each and every one of you, I notice that there are many new ones, who I do not recognise amongst my students. Consequently, I send a warm welcome to those who are about to start this academy, as a result of your 'awakening' and I hope that your journey here was problems free."
As soon as Vladimir mentioned the "problems free" journey, I had to bite back a retort. All the same, as I watched Vladimir pause once again, his bushy eyebrows raised high in his thin face as he spoke, I realised that somehow I really did feel at home here.
"This change," Vladimir stated, "I assure you, will be hard. Nonetheless, I hope that your time at my academy will also be filled with fun and laughter. After all, it's not every day that you come across a school filled with students who possess amazing powers and who may, one day, be the next 'Hulk' or 'Wonder Woman'."
At this last comment, students and teachers alike laughed. Even the mysterious gothic woman with the cold eyes allowed herself to smile.
Then, Vladimir wrapped up his speech.
"Therefore, with the wonderful food we're about to consume and the raising of my glass, I wish you all good luck, from the bottom of my heart."
On cue, as Vladimir raised his glass in a toast, a solitary waiter arrived out of a side door. To my amazement and delight, he duplicated himself until he and his countless doubles were able to carry the mountains of delicious food, prepared by his hand, to all the long tables. The doubles also visited the high table and Vladimir Alcaeus met them with a warm smile and a kind word of thanks. Subsequently, when they were done, the feast began.
To be honest, there was so much food to choose from that I was overwhelmed. After much debating, I settled on a few of my favourite dishes – tomato soup and bread for starters, lasagne and vegetables for my main course and hot, chocolate fudge cake for pudding. Raphael didn't seem to have such a problem, a fact emphasised by the childish gleam in his golden eyes. He seemed to try as much of the food around him as he could, even the more exotic looking cuisine.
After much eating and laughing and an eventual terrible stomach ache, we were soon filing out of the hall and off to bed, the knowledge that the next day was going to be filled with much confusion, hard work and excitement. As I left the hall, pleased to see that Vanessa was nowhere in sight, I felt the ever lingering presence of two, freezing, sapphire eyes, which followed me all the way up the marble stairs, until I was out of sight.
It was these eyes that haunted my dreams.
***********
AN:
Well I hope you found this chapter interesting. You got a taster of the other professors and staff at the academy and I hope the description of the dining hall conjured up vivid images in your mind. I was going for a gothic look and one that celebrated the vast number of powers that pass through the academy. This is mirrored in the flags that hang from the ceiling.