A/N: hey people!
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Fifty three. That was the number of children that were placed in the cart together before leaving. Fifty three children picked up from a series of orphanages.
The owners of the orphanages didn't look too upset at the loss of the children. If anything they were relieved that someone was taking the children.
Some were siblings and the elder ones were comforting the younger ones. Others who were completely alone were either crying with no one to console them or were attempting to be indifferent about the situation.
They were heading north, that was the only thing clear from their journey. They were heading north where there was snow and ice; the children noticed the signs getting clearer and clearer with each passing hour.
In the beginning there was whispering of escaping. The children were all in the single cart with the adults on the sides and guiding the cart on their own horses. It would be easy to escape if not for the dogs that was always on the horses sides of their masters.
One child had attempted to run away. In the middle of the night when they had stopped for the horses to rest for the night. It was pitch dark and the child had soundlessly gotten out of the cart and was making his way away.
One of the adults had noticed, how no one knew, and shot the child with her bow and arrow through the back of the knee causing the child to fall to the ground screaming. With a single motion of her head the woman set the dogs onto the child.
None of the children were able to look away in horror as the dogs eagerly tore into the child as the night swallowed his screams and the dogs ate their fill of the body.
A few days later another child tried to escape during the day when they were passing through the woods, perhaps in hopes that the trees would offer some cover.
However the outcome was the same. A shot in the knee, a nod, and the dogs were on the body before the poor child even realized what had happened.
Occasionally a child would fall out of the cart, merely because of the bumps in the road and them leaning over the side a bit too much or they weren't able to hold on properly, the child would scream and throw their arms around their head in an attempt to guard it from the arrows and dogs.
Instead, knowing the child had fallen and was not trying to escape, one of the adults would go up to them, pick them up by their collars, and throw them back into the cart.
Louise was in the middle of the cart and had watched mournfully the two deaths. She had watched as the arrow pierced the children and then as the dogs devoured them. She had cried soundlessly for them before wiping her tears and trying to figure out what was happening.
The first memory that she knew of was waking up with the adult sitting on the horse to their left. He had asked Louise questions after questions, demanding to know what she remembered of her past.
She had been unable to answer any of his questions. The first memory she had was of him staring down at her. He seemed satisfied with her answer and had led her to the cart where she now was. She was the first child in the cart, sitting there as the adults picked up the other children.
They were given food in the morning and then in the evening. No one ate in the middle of the day. Water was given along with the food however stops for the bathroom were only when they settled down at night. This led to many children losing control of their bladders and filling the cart with the slight scent of urine.
For days on end Louise refused to allow her left hand to fall from her necklace. A black iron cross one of the adults had told her. She was told that there was magic surrounding the necklace and it was bounded to her magical core so that whenever it was attempted to take it away from her it would always come back.
It was the only part of her past that she had.
What magic was on it she didn't know and the adults didn't answer. When she had asked a question, any question she was demanded to be quiet or else she will be punished. She had obediently quieted however one of the other children refused to. She constantly asked questions despite the warnings and threats. When she persisted the adults had taken the riding crop they used on the horses and smacked her on both sides of her face; leaving twin cuts on her cheeks.
Where are they taking us?
That was the main question the children wanted answered. The only thing they truly wanted to know.
Snow and ice started to slowly but surely cover the land. The air grew colder as they continued to press on forward and the children were huddling together, however keeping a firm grip on their belongings, in an effort to remain warm.
Where are they taking us?
Finally, after days on end through their journey, they had arrived. The gate they stopped at rose high and wide; it stretched its boundaries as far as the eye could see. One of the adults had went to the doors and knocked three times.
The gates opened and the cart continued forward until they were in front of the building. A man was standing in front of the building with his hands behind his back waiting for the cart to reach him. He wore a long overcoat and a scarf, his hair and eyes were both slightly purple.
The cart stopped and the adults ushered the children out of it. Once all of the children were out the cart turned and went back, the adults going with them. The gates closed loudly in the silence.
The man, the few guards they could see, and the children were the only ones remaining.
The man in front of them smiled however it was by no means a nice smile.
"Greetings children." he said. "My name is Ivan Braginsky and I am your caretaker as of today." He tilted his head to the side. "However, things here are going to be very different from what any of you are used to."
"There are many rules here, rules that you will learn and obey." he continued. He started to pace slightly however he never took his gaze away from the children. "I will tell you some of them now."
"The first and foremost rule, you will obey my every command." Ivan said. "There is no room for disobeying here. You disobey, you will be killed. No exceptions. No excuses."
"Rule number two." he said. "You will be quiet. Unless I ask a question of one or all of you I am to not hear a single word out of you. Those who disobey will be punished, first time is a beating. Second time is death."
"Third rule." Ivan said before he smirked. "Stay in line."
Louise stood in line with the other children. As with all his teachings Ivan didn't believe in appointing others to do any of the work.
This line was for all of their hair. None of them will have long hair as of today and for the first time Ivan was to cut them all himself so they knew for the future what to do.
When it was a child's turn he grabbed the hair, pulled it down, and cut through it thoroughly and cleanly. Hair was scattered all throughout the ground as the servants cleaned after every few child.
Most of the girls who were waiting were already crying and holding onto their long hair tightly. None of them wished to have it cut.
"When I pull your hair down you pull your head up!" Ivan suddenly thundered. He was screaming to all and to one boy that was on his knees whimpering with his hands pressed at the back of his neck. Blood dripped from his fingers onto the stone floor.
"The cut is not that deep, stop whimpering." Ivan snapped. He grabbed the next girl and quickly cut her hair.
When it came for Louises turn Ivan took a hold of her hair and yanked it down. Biting back the whimper of pain she kept her head up.
Ivans knife cut cleanly through her hair. He pushed her to the side and grabbed the next child.
Next came the inspections. Each child's body was inspected for illness, deformities, or anything else that needed to be brought to attention. At the same time the clothes were taken from the child and they were given a new set of clothes to wear; all of them were identical, and their belongings were searched.
All the clothes were taken, there was no exception to that. However most of the items were allowed, no questions were asked on the item. It was merely taken by Ivan, looked over, and then more often than not returned.
The only exception was the few children who had managed to bring a weapon of some sort with them. Those were immediately placed to the side.
When it came to Louises turn to be inspected she took off her clothes, like all the other children before she was blushing and none of the children would look at her for some semblance of privacy; something Ivan didn't do as he watched each child carefully, and accepted the clothes he wordlessly gave her. She pulled off her necklace and handed it to him as she dressed in her new clothes.
He had frozen when his hands touched the necklace and his eyes narrowed as he carefully inspected it.
"There is magic on this." he told her. "A magic that will help you in the future."
He handed it back to her. "I don't care where you got it, however know this. Never let it go."
Louise nodded and quickly went to the side where the other children who were done with the inspection stood.
They stood in line once more. Fifty one of them, two had died on the trip attempting to escape.
Ivan stared at each and every one of them silently as he seemed to consider his next words.
"This is not a place of love and comfort, support and hugs and kisses." he said. "You were brought here because no one cares for you. You were brought here to be trained."
"What are you being trained for?" Ivan asked rhetorically before answering his own question. "You are being trained to kill those who do not deserve to walk on the good earth that the almighty has provided for us."
"I am talking about of course; vampires, werewolves, witches, and any other creature that is not human." Ivan said. "Creatures, abominations, that defile our very existence. If you blame anyone for the next years of your lives then you will blame them. Blame them for existing. Because the fact they exist is the reason you will suffer."
"And you will suffer." Ivan confirmed. "Each one of you will be beaten severely, regardless of how well you obey my rules."
Somehow he looked at them and it seemed to the children that he was looking each of them in the eye.
"I am going to destroy you." he said softly. "I am going to rip you apart piece by piece. I am going to have each of you go through what you believe is to be a personal hell. And then I will remake you. I will make you strong. I will make you into killers."
"Oh, but not all of you will live." he added, a light tone now was clear in his voice. "Most of you will die. In pain and horribly I assure you." He watched the pale and scared faces of the children. "I have never had a class such as yourselves with more than five graduating students, my biggest graduating class might I add, and I have had classes with children that ranked in the hundreds."
"Tonight will be the only night where you don't have to worry about pain, I would suggest savoring it for it will be your last for many, many years." he said. "I will send you to dinner however first I will let you know a few things."
He started to pace once more. "The temperature here is constantly cold and at times it can be considered freezing to the point where the human body simply shuts down. Get used to the cold children for neither your clothes nor the blankets on which you will sleep will offer you any warmth. Ice, cold, and snow is now a part of your lives as pain will be."
"I will be giving all the lessons. This is a school after all so I expect notes to be taken, books and everything else you need for these lessons will be provided of course, and tests will be done. I am not simply training you physically but mentally as well."
"Sleeping quarters. Each child will share a room with another, you will change your roommates quiet often due to deaths so don't get used to each person. The partners all depend simply on who you will be standing next to at the time. Please do keep your rooms clean children."
"You will have three meals. In the morning, midday, and evening. Schedules will be given of what is expected of you."
"You will find that social norms are no longer applied here, I especially enjoy the ones of the gender expectations and limitations. Those are my favorite to destroy."
"And last." Ivan smiled here, that cold smile once more. "I look forward to personally beating each of you to an inch of your life. Enjoy dinner children."
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.
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Until next time.
This is Phoenix-Fire Power over and out.