Assassins Acedemy: Loreley

Prologue

   I walk through the snow, deadly silent. I can't help the smirk that grows on my face as a very surprised squirrel I managed to sneak up on spots me and tries to dart away, but I send my small knife spiraling and it buries itself right in the back of the creature's head. I pick up the squirrel, and check my watch. Shit it's after lunchtime already. Up here in Celadus, the northern sector of what used to be the United States, the winters are almost always dark. It's impossible to tell the time of day, but nights are even darker.

   I plow through the snow, walking out of the forest and up the path to my family's house. It's not so much a house as it is a mansion though, huge and somber with a dark feel to it. It's made almost entirely of obsidian, sparkling darkly against the pure white background.

   I push open the dark mahogany door, and stomp my boots off on the blood red rug. I drop the squirrel in the kill box to clean it later, after removing the knife.

   Hadeon is sitting on the dark leather couch by the fire, cleaning blood off one of his knives. He sends me a half smile as I pull off my thick coat.

   "Hey little sis, how's the weather" I roll my eyes and plop onto the couch next to him.

   "It's just wonderful," I lay on the sarcasm. I glance down at his now clean knives. "How was the job?" I grab one of his rags and start to clean my own knife. A faint smile pulls at his dark lips.

   "It went quite well. Found him within an hour and managed to find him all alone later in the day. Got a clean kill and disposed of him and was back in time for lunch."

   Now you're probably wondering, why in the hell are they talking about murder like its a walk in the park? Well for our family, it is. Hadeon and I descended from a long line of assassins, and are expected to carry on the family legacy. The Anluan name is one feared by many. Our parents expect us to be just as good as they are, if not better. Hadeon has already made them proud, but I have yet to do so.

   Speak of the devil, my parents walk in, sending smiles at my older brother when they see him cleaning his knives.

   "I take it the job went well." My dad says to him, leaning against the wall. Hadeon nods and starts to clean all his stuff up. My mom sits next to me, and dad walks over to stand in front of us. When Hadeon leaves to put his knives in the weapons room, my dad sits where he was and looks at me.

   "Loreley, your mother and I have been talking-" I tense a bit. These conversations never went well. My parents and I didn't get along  the best.

   "-and we've decided to enroll you in the Academy." My mother beams at me, and dad spreads his arms like it's the best news ever. I give them a faint smile and lean back in my seat. The Academy is a prestigious school for young assassins and killers. Only the best of the best graduate from there. I push my hand through my long chocolate brown hair.

   "When do I start?" I ask nonchalantly, trying to hide the excitement building inside me. I had been taught from a young age to hide my emotions, and hide them well.

   "In the fall." I smile. I have about a year to get some more training in. I'll probably be ahead of almost everyone in my class. Hadeon had graduated from the Academy 3 years ago, and made me do training and exercise with him after he had graduated. He said it would be good practice, that I would thank him later. Maybe I will.

   Later that night, I lay in my canopy bed, still excited. As I go over in my mind all the stuff my dad told me about it, there's a part of my brain that's hesitant. I had killed animals and shot dummy's before, but never an actual human. Not that I care, most humans are annoying anyway. I've been training for a while, and I'm an excellent hunter. There's not much of a difference between. I block out the thoughts and fall into a peaceful sleep, a faint smile still on my lips.