Away but Home

"Alright Liza I'll call you when I get there." Slamming the trunk shut on my 2001 Toyota Corolla, Liza had new tears in her eyes and her cheeks were red. We all knew this day was coming, and we had prepared for it as a family, but I knew she was going to take it the hardest. I saw her swallowing her tears and I tried to smile. "LIZAAA please don't cry." Then she explodes into an outcry, trying to silence her muffled sobs and wraps me into a scoop, holding on refusing to let go. I just giggled and patted her on her back as she sobbed into my shoulder. I hold her tighter and closed my eyes just letting myself relax in her embrace. I took a deep breath remembering her smell of fresh bread with a hint of feminine perfume. When she adopted me I would cry all the time, and only her hugs would get me to calm down. I'm not sure how I'm going to survive 4 years of college without her. Our family isn't rich enough that we are able to buy vast amounts of plane tickets out to New Orleans to come 'visit.' I had to come to terms with that before accepting my place there. I will miss her. More than anything. "Love you mom.." I release her and she takes a steadying breath before meeting my eyes.

"Oh my darling Kiera, I love you more than anything in the world." She places a lingering kiss on my forehead. I smile at her apologetically. It made me feel guilty, leaving her. Taking one last look at me before shaking the sadness out of her. "You should uh, probably get on the road lovely, drive safe and call me when you get there." She put her hands together and shoved them under eachother to stop them from grabbing me. I give her a reassuring smile before opening my car door and sliding inside. I turned the key and the engine came to life. My mother stood waving following my car as I backed out of the drive. I waved and blew a kiss one last time and drove off towards my new life. Making sure that I'm Not leaving my old one behind.

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Still 3 hours to New Orleans. I had been on the road for at least 5 hours now and my eyes were in a war with my conscience. The sun had fallen and the moon had taken its place. I look back in my mirror to see a empty road. I grip the steering wheel a little tighter to keep my grasp on reality. The headlights showed the long road infront of me. Barren and dreaded. But even though the journey was going to be long. I was excited about the destination. I was so excited to go to this college. When I was born, my birth mother wrote me a note with naught but my name on it, asking for me to be kept safe. The piece of parchment that she wrote it on was from this college, St. Vitrian, with its black crest dominant on the back. I had managed to trace it back to this college. Its the only real connection I will have with my past. I had only ever wanted to come here. But I didn't realise how picky they were about their students. They only accept really high achieving students a year. So I worked my ass off to get the grades necessary to attend. The place is over a thousand years old. Once owned by a mad king. There wasn't much information about this college, but I knew I needed to come here. At least explore the connection. Something about this place was drawing me to it. Once I applied, I was accepted almost immediately. Strange. Right? 2 hours.

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The sun starts to peer into the horizon. Dripping it's yellow across the world. I look around the barren road to see nothing but trees for miles and miles. There are no houses, no stores, nothing for the last hour. I keep driving. And driving. For some kind of contact. The road is a natural one, not man made. I toddler in my car and my boxes shift on the uneven road. It's not much further, but the trees have caved in to create a natural tunnel.

"Well This is creepier than I thought." It was all still. No movement. I looked at my map, and I could see that the co-ordinates weren't that far. I continued forward. The rustling of leaves and the immense darkness sent chills up my spine. But for somewhat, I felt a familiarity. I saw it. The college was massive. It was of an old castle. Huge. The castle lay like an old man of the hill, the sunlight shone on its craggy, tumble down rock. Moss clung in the shade of the ancient walls like a straggly beard. The once proud turrets had crumbled in places giving the impression of a disheveled party hat. Spooky doesn't quite cover it and eerie is an understatement. In the shadow, cast by castle walls thicker than my arm is long, a chill creeps over the uncut grass. Huge is also an understatement. Grand, massive, gigantic and large are all understatements.

"What the hell?" I say to myself. "This is St. Vitrian?" The walls were high. I could only see the top. I slowed the speed of my car going through the ginormas gates. I see a few cars going to the back so I decide to follow them. We come to a stop upon the gravel. I see them get out and head towards the front of the castle. I decide to get out. My legs ache from the long drive. I don't get any of my things, but It was cold. I grab my jacket and lock my car and start to walk to the entrance. Looking around. The staircase was grand and of twisted rock. The paintings on the walls were ancient and masterful. The carpet was for for royalty. I ran my hand across the ancient rock knowing that this place must have a thousand stories. But if this place was a college. Then where are the students?

"Can I help you?" I turn around to a girl. She was stern but polite. I couldn't make out which one she wanted to be. Her thin eyebrows made her eyes look big and her petite body made her look younger than she was.

"Oh uh Hi. I'm looking for orientation. I'm a new student here." I say. I put out my hand but she doesn't take it. He hair was tied in a tight but and her makeup was thick to hide the circles under her eyes. She lifted out a clip board from behind her back.

"Your name?" She asked her face sour.

"Uh Kiera Valor." I said. The woman's pen stopped on the paper and her eyes latched onto mine.

"Valor?" She said with a raised eyebrow. I nodded. She looked flustered, her steps were now uneven and she blinked several times.

"Room 620." She smiled a crooked smile. She handed me a map of the castle and circled around my room. her hand shook and she quickly withdrew it as I took the paper form her hand.

"Where are the rest of the students?" I ssked.

"some were here yesterday. You are early. Class doesn't officially start until tomorrow."

"Yesterday? I was told today." I say.

"You are an external student..so you are today. All the other external students should be arriving today."

"External?" I repeat. The woman stares at me. Confused.

"Headmaster Leon will want to know you have arrived. Once you have settled in your room. Someone will be along to get you." She walks straight passed me almost running away from me.

"Weird." There were alot of stairs and I was room 620. I made my way outside to gather my things. And go on a hike to find room 620.

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I'm sweating so much. The room wasn't that high but I went in the wrong direction and walked for what seemed like eternity. I am fit, I did track for 3 years. But that was horrible. The door was already unlocked. I walked in to find a girl sitting on her bed reading a book I hadn't seen before. Her glasses were too big for her face. The girl had red hair and was so pale it was like she had never seen the sun.

"Oh hi!" She said flipping her legs into a sitting position. She had already unpacked her side of the room. She was shorter than me and her body was tiny like you could snap her in two. Her lips were small but her eyes were massive and extremely green.

"Hey." I say out of breath.

"Couldn't find it could you?" She says shutting her book and placing it on her desk. I laughed and nodded. "I'm Gwen, Gwen Levins. I'm a new student." She says.

"Kiera..Kiera Valor." I say. I don't hear anything back so I sit up. Gwen's mouth is wide open and her eyes have opened even wider.

"Valor!? As in Valor Valor??" She asks. Exaggerating my name.

"Uh yeah why?" I say.

"You're family is legendary!" She stands up with her hands behind her head waving them about.

"Legendary? I'm adopted. I don't know anything about my mother.. do you know?"

"EVERYONE KNOWS THE FAMILY OF VALOR! Here especially! They-" there is a knock at the door. And the woman I had met in the lobby, walked into the room.

"Miss Valor. Headmaster Leon is now expecting you."

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The lady walked 2 steps infrojt of me. Not speaking to me the whole way. We walked along a grand corridor, to an double entrance door. She knocked three times and I could hear the echoes. It was a big room.

"Enter" I hear a distorted voice say. The woman pushes the door and gives me way to go in. I go in and she closes the door behind me. The room was badly lit by naght but candles. The paintings on the walls were all.oil paintings from the 1890's. The furniture was old and creepy. Like a vampire den. In the middle of the room was a grand desk sprawled with paper and a full lamp and behind was a crackling fire. The windows were draped with heavy curtains and there was a big leather sofa at the side near a massive bookshelf.

"Kiera Valor.. What an absolute honour." I hear. I look up to see a man on the book shelf balcony peering down at me. His steps were light and he carried 3 books in his hand. His suit was clean cut and fitting. His slick black hair and pale skin did not compliment eachother. He seemed old. Yet youthful. He was definitely fit, but he seemed tired. He walked down the small twisted metal staircase and placed the books on his desk. He motioned for me to sit in one of the massive chairs. I did. As I got closer to him I could see his eyes were black and his smile was untrusting. His smile was so big, but his eyes searched me. As if waiting for me to perform a magic trick.

"I'm so glad you are here. My name is Headmaster Leon. I run this college. I was so delighted to hear that a Valor was returning to these halls. I actually taught your father and mother."

"You knew my parents!" I say louder than expected.

"You didn't?" He raised and eyebrow. "Oh right..I'm sorry they died in an accident. I'm so terribly sorry. You were adopted by a Liza Wildren am I right?"

"Yes." I say.

"But so why did you keep the name Valor?"

"My mother named me after I was born. I wanted to keep the name and I guess Liza agreed as well." I say as sternly as possible. All he did was smile.

"So it really is you. I was just checking we got the right one." He said getting up.

"Right one? What do you mean?"

"If we had the wrong student that would be a violation. And well, you would have to be killed."

"Excuse me!" I got up out of my chair and backed up away from him. I was panicked now. More so than I was before. This guy is crazy. But he looked at me like I was crazy.

"But you got through the protection wall, so you're not an intruder...You really don't know anything.. This is not like any school. I'm sure you know that by now. Do you even know who you are? Who your parents are?" I shook my head gripping the back of the chair.

"You're parents are the most legendary hunters in the universe!" He said with his arms wide.

"Hunters? Like deer?" I say unimpressed. The man laughs as if I were telling a joke.

"No, witches, vampires, werewolves, goblins, elves, pretty much everything." He says. "That's why you are here. You are going to be trained as a Huntress."