The day was cold and rainy. Deep grey clouds the color of stone covered the sky like a blanket. Wind whipped the rain against the small house like a battering ram. Trees waved and bent to the rhythm of the weather, undeterred by the harshness. Eight year old Victoria watched the water droplets trickle lazily down the window, leaving thick trails of moisture in its wake. Heavier drops fell freely from the sky, beating the land below like someone would a drum. Today was a big day.
Victoria brushed her black hair one more time then braided it, tying it with a dark purple ribbon. She stood and smoothed her dress then walked over to her full length mirror and checked her appearance one more time.
"Victoria, the carriage is here."
Victoria quickly slipped on her soft leather sandals and grabbed her single suitcase. The floor moaned in protest as she hurried down the stairs and out the door to where her father waited.
Dusk had a black cloak thrown over his shoulders. His arms were crossed and he stood at the garden gate, waiting next to a large, wooden carriage pulled by a team of horses.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked when she stopped in front of him.
"I'm sure." Her voice was firm.
He nodded. "When will I see you again?"
"When I'm ready."
With that, Victoria mounted the carriage. She sat down on the hard bench and slipped her suitcase under the seat. There was a sharp 'Crack!' as the driver snapped his whip and a jolt as the horses pulled her along.
As they moved, Victoria took account of the other passengers. They all sat across from her on the opposite bench.
One was an older man with grey hair and beard. His eyes were cold and hard. The woman sitting next to him seemed like the female version of him. She had her silver hair pulled tightly back into a bun. Her face was lined and narrow; her nose hooked like a bird's beak. She sat with her back ram rod straight and observed the other passengers with disdain, like they gave off a bad smell.
Her eyes settled on Victoria and narrowed. Victoria stared back evenly, undeterred. Finally, the woman looked away and Victoria returned her gaze to the other occupants.
The other three weren't very impressive. One was a business man, who looked nervous as he glanced out the window every few seconds, like he hoped that by some miracle the carriage would magically appear where ever he needed to be. A young woman sat next to him, hands on a purse as extravagant as her clothes.
The last occupant was a girl, maybe only a year younger then herself, Victoria reckoned. She sat in between the cold eyed couple with her gaze cast down at her shiny shoes. Her clothes were grey and white and pressed so flat, Victoria was surprised the girl was able to move at all.
The carriage trundled along, every once in a while a wheel would hop over a rock or hole in the road and everyone would be jolted. The couple would scowl, like it was the driver's fault for the roughness of the terrain while the others would shift back into place.
After another two hours of travel, the carriage finally stopped. The business man leaped to his feet and shoved the older man, who had been getting up, back into his seat.
The older man growled and the woman accompanying him glared after the business man. The fancy lady stood up, smiled graciously at the two then followed the business man down the street.
The grey-haired woman sniffed. "Such rudeness." She had an English accent.
They rode for another hour before the carriage once again stopped. The man nodded and the couple stood up. "Come," the woman said and they walked out of the carriage. The girl who had been sitting between them stood up and followed, keeping her eyes cast down.
Victoria leaned down and picked up her suitcase then stepped out onto the side of the road. Forest stretched out into the distance on either side of her as far as Victoria could see. The rain clouds had gone away and sunlight now peeked out cautiously, like a child about to be found eavesdropping on a conversation.
On the other side of the road, fields stretched out to touch the horizon in the distance. The grain waved slightly in the breeze.
The other three were already gone.
Victoria reached into her bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. She skimmed over the instructions written on it then put it away, picked up her suitcase and walked into the brush.
When she reached the tunnel entrance, she hesitated, only for a moment, before descending into the darkness. Her foot falls echoed dully off the stone walls. She didn't know how long she walked until she finally reached a room.
A few minutes later, a man walked in. He looked to be about fifty, with dark grey hair. "Hello," he said.
"Hello," Victoria replied evenly.
"What is your name?"
"I'm not going to tell you."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Then I will not tell you mine, but I can tell you what is going to happen next. You are one of the new students, correct?"
"Yes."
"Well then. Follow me."
The man turned and walked out of the room. Victoria hesitated, then left her suitcase and followed the man through some more tunnels. Soon, she found herself turned around.
They got a room that was slightly bigger than the last one and stopped. Suddenly, the man whipped around, his fist smashed into her cheek and she cried out as she fell back.
She put a hand to the spot he had struck her and looked up at the man as he gazed down at her. "Lesson number one." He said. "Trust no one."
Victoria looked at him warily then decided it safest to stay down.
"You will make mistakes." The man continued. "It is part of your training also. You will get better and better, steadily gaining control of your body. Sound confusing? Having to gain control of your own body? Don't we already have control over our bodies? It is true, we can control many parts of our body. But it is the instincts we have to master."
He faked a kick at her, making her flinch away.
"See? You don't mean to move back. It is a natural instinct. It is something we as humans have adapted over time to stay alive. But, to be powerful, you have to learn to control those instincts. Make them move the way you want them to. To only come to action when you want them. This will be difficult, and this is your last chance to leave this place. Your family will get all of their money back from schooling you here. But this is your one and only chance. Will you take it and go back to your normal life?"
Victoria stood. She looked at the man. "No."
The man nodded. "Good. Then let us continue. But first."
He walked over to a section of wall and waved his hand. A sigil glowed as his hand passed and the brick opened. The man pulled out some bandages and threw them to Victoria.
She caught them. Thought for a moment then threw them back. "Trust no one."
The man smiled.
So I will be flip-flopping Ray-Roy and Vendetta's back stories each chapter. The next one will be for Ray-Roy. Please review! :)