Ashia Academy: The Reckoning

Arrival 2

Ashia Academy was a prestigious school known worldwide for its academic accomplishments, and the talents of the students it produced. The academy itself was a beautiful place, filled with the most advanced facilities and the most eye-catching of luxuries. Not to mention the dormitories, which, while not as beautiful, were still dumbfounding to those seeing it for the first time.

The gates themselves shone with silver and bronze, glittering in the late afternoon sun. It, in all honesty, was a painter's wet dream. The serenity of the fields, the majesty of the walls, the luster of the gates, the hill path paved with stones leading up to them, the horrifying monstrosity of a vehicle pulling up at the beginning of said path...

Actually the last one didn't quite belong in this scene.

It looked like some kind of Volkswagen, but one couldn't be sure. It had no exact color, its parts consisting of those from similar vehicles of different colors. Its hood was green, while the majority of its body was dark blue. The front passenger door was orange, while the one behind it was a mild purple, and all the doors on the other side were white, along with the roof. The last part, the trunk, was black.

The car itself was not in the best of conditions either. It was heavily battered on all sides, with most of its windows either cracked or outright gone. Once upon a time, it may have been a nice dark blue (or white) car, but now it was just mishmash of parts, that looked like they were barely holding themselves together.

Rolling to a stop in front of the path, the wheels groan as the brakes are applied. The driver turns off the car and the vehicle quakes for a moment, looking as if it was going to blow. A heavy plume of smoke ejects itself from the exhaust, and the car goes quiet.

The front passenger door opens, and a young man steps out of the metal death trap. He was fairly tall with light brown hair, and bright blue eyes. He wore a dark blue high collar jacket zipped-up to the collarbone with white streaks down the front and arms, dark grey trousers and red and black sneakers. Attached diagonally to the back of his jacket was a thirteen inch long black sheathe, with the red hilt sticking out over his left shoulder.

The boy smiled as he gazed at the gates of the academy, his hand tightening into fists as his eyes shone with excitement. "I've finally made it to the big leagues." He remains there for a few more seconds, just taking in the sight, before a raccoon that hitched a ride with them at some point during their journey darts outs from beneath the car and through his legs.

He jumps in surprise as its fur rubs against his leg. The young man glares at the forest creature as it makes for the bushes as fast as its legs could carry it.

A white blur shoots out from the open car door and tackles the raccoon, the two figures tumbling into the foliage. There are sounds of a serious struggle, then a pitched squeal, then silence. A moment later the sound ripping flesh could be heard.

Staring for a moment at the bushes where a grievous scene was most likely to be taking place, the young man shrugs and decides to go collect his luggage. He shuts the door behind him...

And it falls off its hinges.

The boy just stares at the car door for a moment, a blank expression on his face, before shrugging. "Hey old man," he calls as he heads to the back of the vehicle "one of your doors fell off."

"It happens." The driver, a man in his late forties, replies nonchalantly. He had a wild mane of white hair and a scraggly beard. He was waiting for the boy at the back of the car already, ready to begin the very 'delicate' process required to open the trunk. Once the boy arrives, he begins.

He fiddles with the handle a bit, jerking it this way and that, but after a few tries, manages to leverage the door open. "There ya go, kid." The driver says, gesturing for the boy to take his things. Nodding, the young man obliges, taking out a large duffel bag from the trunk.