The woman in white: The beginning

With every untouchable force there is a great responsibility and trauma that follows the acquisition of that strength. Every type of strength comes from an experience and a lesson that was a hard one to learn. In every “Hero” there is a dark “Villian” who controls the innermost morals and actions of this half-fated “Hero” that have placed themselves in the limelight. A hero, so I’ve learned, is based upon the perspective of those who procure the term for them. I was a hero once; Or so I thought. A very long time ago, though you wouldn’t guess by looking over my physical appearance. Moreso, if you base your opinions solely on one’s physical appearance. According to the mortal perception of time, I am over a millenia in age. Which could also be considered young for my kind, or old, depending on a lot of variation of factors. I am presently a ripe millenia and a half to be more specific, about to cross another ageless year off of my list. However, to mortal standards of appearance, I look no more than eighteen in its best light. I was not cursed, which feels like it's always the first thought because of stupid fairytales. Though it feels that way most often in this detrimental hellscape I've managed to find some semblance of peaceful living in. if I may keep my perspective honest, but I don't expect for it to matter much to those who would listen in the human world. I'm used to that having to be a normalcy at this point in my existence. Some upward decades have felt the loneliest type of a cursed existence; No parents, or none that I have ever laid my eyes on. Not that it would matter anyway, as a guardian I wouldn't have been allowed to be placed with them as a 'marked' child. No place to live or call home for more than a couple of years at a time, or there would be too many questions I couldn't answer. Worst of all those aren’t the only things that I’ve had to muddle through pretending they don’t bother me. The list goes on for some distance on paper, however, I try to keep those in my mind instead of outwardly complaining or making anything that is easy to find with sensitive information of that sort. There is no being normal and there is no getting close to anyone. If I did they surely would not understand what I truly am; They would simply view me as a ‘monster’, which is how I ended up a guardian so much younger than the rest. Fears of strength consuming logic and creating a monster. Humans wouldn’t understand the horrors I have had to witness year after accursed year! Let alone what my personal experiences have shown and continued to teach and remind me as the memories flow like a steady stream through my mind, never showing signs of stopping. The rapid only tends to become consuming sometimes. I've gotten pretty good at dispersing those.I know my bias is evident and maybe it's a little unfair to think so low of the people I've been sent to protect, however, my life has shown me how unnecessarily fragile they like to pretend they are, and that is an unfair privilege in my opinion. No, the human race is not ready to face the horrible truths of the things and creatures they fight so hard to pretend are just figments of their feeble minds. Their nightmares always come back to make more work for me. What they don’t know, you may be asking? All of their nightmares and fairytales exist in the furthest reaches and deepest crevices of the universe. Most find their next bright meal of auras and energy on earth. Some of them, this race of beings have yet to even imagine in their wildest horror filled nightmares, there's an understanding they are real. How do you really think humans would react if they knew what crept through their homes or lived in the bushes and watched them while they remained blissfully unaware. Protectors get the privilege of seeing all of them first hand. Every eyeless beast, vicious monster and blood worn terror. Perfect families go on day trips and picnics in their yard. While I remain neck deep in the blood and body parts of these creeping, shadow walking, cretons that have on more than one occasion tried to kill them in their ‘safe-haven’ they call home. The most frustrating part of this whole ordeal is that no one knows what I have done for them in the past or how I keep them safe now that there is never going to be any form of appreciation from those mortal souls I protect or save. I know it may sound shallow, but trust me, the people above me don’t show any form of appreciative attitude either. I don't hear many complaints of too many thank-yous and all I want is one. I don't think that's a lot to ask. This predicament also brings forth the problem of once I get to know anyone on this plane I have no choice but to lie to them about everything I say or do. In essence, it just keeps me from associating with anyone on this planet anymore. I am too old and too tired to keep making excuses like a teenager with a love-sick mind and insatiable s*x-drive who has easy access to all of the orgasms they want. Besides, it isn’t just when I have to leave abruptly that I have to lie to these people that I have grown close to,it's also when they see me in odd clothes or my speech pattern or even the times I end up 'out of town'. It’s also why I speak in the manner in which I do, but I suppose that is a small price to pay to simply insure that the human race is in good hands and thriving. I will admit that my biased against the majority of humans is more because of my jealous hatred of how they can live with blissful ignorance. I simply find it unfair how the universe gifted them with this and I had to grow from a small child to an ‘adult’ very young. My family was destroyed, according to Court records, and the last I had heard from the Courts was not as good of a conversation as I’d hoped. They had, at that point, informed me of the villains who had killed off my family, and most of my race, were still lingering in small groups that seemed to have been in a hibernation of sorts. It was not news I wanted to hear and then to be told I could do nothing because they, “...Hadn’t done anything wrong in a long time..”after I questioned why they hadn’t done anything about these morons as of yet. I digress, eventually I shall see the proper justice served. Even if it by one at my own hand. Framing my thoughts back together as to my initial point, however, is that there are small groups of human beings who are ready for the revelation of this truth. That there are creatures, shadows, and dark evil that roam around them. How do I know if I don’t associate with people? They can see me now. Centuries ago humans seeing a protector was unheard of and typically was blamed on careless work on the part of the protector, with a cruel punishment to suit their “crimes.” Usually I walk around with a glammer on myself unless something is needed from an establishment, I do have to eat sustenance to survive and water is necessary for the husk of a body I absolutely have no choice in here. I have had a few people look over at me and think they are insane when asked who they are conversing with. I suppose it’s time to ask Derek for a stronger spell this time. Most that have not conversed with me under my glammer have good reason to be afraid. Their society has made them crazy, unstable, nut-cases, and the more known ‘official’ unofficial term being insane. Not all of these people are as crazy as they may seem. I do not mean that they are not suffering from something. However, seeing the many dark demons crawling like a snake across their bedroom floor while the light is still burning on its brightest setting is no hallucination. They have a skill of Sight and some foresight. This skill, which I will admit has its perks, but mostly cursed to possess, has side-effects such as anxiety, depression, or even going down the other path and telling them that they are simply ill leaving them with no explanation. I've heard some of the horror stories that leave mortals in anxious fear of even knowing the names to their sickness. What a travesty their healers must be. For some of us that keep the world’s shielded and ungrateful population of slowly rotting flesh bags safe, we’ve encountered these typically invisible creatures more than once in our lives. These creatures are not ones to fight fair when chasing their desired prey. Having had to face the true nightmares face to face. Most of us were trained and sent out into the vast universe on our own at a young age, some merely small children, myself included. After my parents couldn't be recovered from their last mission, I was handed to who would end up being my watcher until I was ready to do things on my own. You'd think I'd be to that point by now. The thing is that age becomes apparent in different creatures in different ways. Humans begin to age and as they become older wrinkles form on their skin, gray hair, humans show their age through their flesh first. It becomes difficult to do the things they once enjoyed only leaving distant memories to live inside once they have been broken by their society and old age. For Valkyrn, which is my race in particular, we become what humans consider ‘old souls’ without changing bodies. I am half Valkyrie and half light oracle, we simply don't talk about them in separate parts, it makes Cai nervous to mention. We live for thousands of years with little to no way of being noticed by other civilizations. A Valkyrn has only half the attributes of the Valkyrie, but I ended up with more than that. It is the name given to those who have a human component, but I've never seen an indication of that being my personal case. I don't have the mortal aging attributes, which is part of whY give it away. Instead you would have to study my habits or, what do you call it now? Oh, yes, mannerisms. You would have to listen to my words, sentence form, how I speak with my hands, and the strange bits of sarcasm I have acquired through my thousands of years on this plane. Now I live here most of my time,on earth, and cannot for the life of me figure out why humans use some of the references they use. Perhaps that is something of a rabbit hole all its own. I won't divulge into the curiosity of it all now, but I suppose, in time I'll figure it out. So, you see, almost wasted effort in the long scheme of life. I hate wasting anything- Time, energy, resources..Mostly my time. It is by far the most priceless possession I own. As my thoughts begin to reel inside my mind, a deep and husky voice pulls me from those thoughts. As my eyes trail upward a tall man who looked peculiar in this setting, standing at a large 7'3. His daunting yet muscular form seemed more toned than before, or maybe I was thinking too much. He stood with pools of hazel for the eyes of my watcher. His entire job is to make sure I say yes and complete the tasks at hand. Though today, he seems like something is plaguing his mind as well. “Hmm? Oh, when did you get here?” I say with a curl of sarcasm and playful distan, He mocks his own injured heart like a spear had hit its target. “You’re one to be snippy, hiding again are we?” Malachi asks, noticing my attire and the change in my drinking cup. From a chalice to a styrofoam coffee cup with a popular coffee brand logo on the side, I follow his gaze and shake my head with a chuckle. “No, I’m just bored and you’ve given me nothing to fill my time. In fact, I recall me being here being a certain watchers idea anyways..” My retort is not well taken, Cai's face seems to shift between anger in his eyes and hurt on his features. I immediately wish I could scoop the words from the air. He regains his composure quickly, making it impossible to say anything else on the matter as he straightens and clears his throat in a matter of moments. Malachi’s brilliant eyes lighten once again, but his expression remains mysterious in a way I'm unfamiliar with. “We have a new assignment for you Senny, you might like the challenges in it. However, I can’t help with this one, you’ll have to use your own resources to do so,” He explains swiftly. Covering whatever mixed feelings he may have about the entire thing. I sit taller hearing him explain. No watcher on an entire mission? I could have jumped three stories just to rocket to the depths of the earth should I have had the urge, but I like it here. Although it does momentarily strike me as odd that the Courts would send me in on a solo mission after all this time under the microscope. “Tell me more of what you know,” I insist, trying to hide the small excitement bubbling inside me like a spring shower in warm air. I stand and move to him, taking his wrist and leading him down the main stairs where I sit everyday to think, across the street and down a few blocks landing us in the closest park. I find a trash can as he seems to try and find the words to speak precisely, throwing away my cup. I hear the sound of him moving towards me and turn to face him once more. Appearance wise, he’d maybe pass for his late 40’s, however he had well surpassed those numbers. We began to walk side by side as he spoke softly at last, “Listen, Sen, I don’t want you to go. Tell them no, you're not ready..” His words struck a bit of a sharp pain in my own chest, did he really think I wasn't ready? Or was it him who wasn't really ready? “Why? Why would I turn this chance down?” I asked in kind. My tone and voice remain soft, almost as if trying to lull the conversation to a halt. He stopped us and looked around before his facial features softened, telling me he’d found what he wanted. Taking me by the hand, he’d lead me to a park bench where we sat in silence another few moments. “You have to understand Serene, I promised I’d take care of you at risk of anything." He spoke in a manner that made him seem contemplative and careful. What was going on with him? "You’re not ready for this...This is their test for you and I won’t be there to help. You’ll be alone, you have no resources…” He begins to explain quickly. His eyes darted around us at the people who passed under suspicion of being heard. Even for his paranoid frame of thinking this was a little weird. He wasn’t supposed to tell me.. So, why was he doing all of this? It was so strange, yet so vague. Completely different from his normal calm demeanor. I could see that he knew there would be repercussions when he returned to the courts to report. His eyes turned slightly dark, as his features reflected the swirling thoughts in his mind. “Cai...I’m strong enough to handle this, I can do this.. besides, I have plenty of resources. I just need to make a trip to someone first.” I insist, but his attention has turned serious to me. “Alright, here is the deal, I’ll fill you in and then tell me..okay?” He almost seemed to be pleading with me, the giant of a teddy bear. As we sat in silence, which seemed to be becoming a pattern in this visit from him, I reached out and touched his shoulder, almost shocking him back from his thought process. “They want you to go to the outer reaches of the spirit world and take down a rather large ogre that seems to be on the loose. I don’t think it got out on it’s own. I think there is more going on and that could mean your life, Serene, at any time.” He explains in a hushed yet hurried tone. I fiddled with my hands as I sat there and processed the information. “I know. I have Zeke, and Caroline for runes and spells and potions...Ginger and Skye for weapons…” My mind begins to list all of my prior contacts and their specialities along with their secondaries that may be useful. The only thing I cared about right now was survival, even if it meant using every resource I had, which seemed to be the only upper hand I had. We stood and made our way to my apartment;The six block trek made my pounding chest feel even more hollow. I had only rented it at the behest of the council. These ancient beings who have had a push and pull say over the courts for what seemed like eons now. We walked briskly, her arm in mine to keep me up with his pace, though it looked more like a disgruntled parent bringing their child home from school after making poor decisions. Once we arrived at the tiny one bedroom I unlocked the door and stepped inside; My guardian followed behind me. I began grabbing everything I could think of that I’d need, clothes, weapons, money, gold coins...My go bag is almost together when he clears his throat from the door of my room. “C’mon, we don’t have much time. They’ll be here soon..” Right, the ‘vultures’ as the keepers called them. Soul seekers who had gone astray, a seeker's test was their beacon to come and attack as that's when one's power grows to its full strength. I go back through the checklist in a mumbled tone, yanking on the hem of my shirt in the nervous manner that had set in.”Ammo, clothes…smoke..” I sighed and continued on,”Knives..I think I got it all..” My voice sounded smaller than I meant it to as I zipped the duffle and headed for him, probably leaving this life behind, I can’t help but freeze going back for the only thing my parents left behind, their locket.