This is a story of our table-top RPG game in Scion in my character's POV. Scion was published by White Wolf Inc. and based on American Gods by Neil Gaiman. My character's name is Noir Valentine, an african-american mortal whose job is to assassinate people for living. She's 20 years old, lives in New Orleans and a Scion of Kalfu.
Scion: Hero
By
Noir Valentine
Prologue
New
Orleans, Present Day
I’ve
always been alone. Growing up in an orphanage makes you trust no one other than
yourself. The teachers had praised my works and yet I didn’t let
my intellectual talents grow. All through my high school life, I jumped from
one trouble to another, joining in gangs and involve myself into their fights.
I started holding a gun since I was 15, mastered removing and cleaning its
parts at 16.
At
18, after my graduation, I ran away from the orphanage and drown myself in the
on goings of the black market. There, I learned how to aim and shoot properly.
Before long I was one of the best assassins that can be hired for a certain
price.
I
thought I know everything already in the realm of the living and the dead. It’s
a dog-eat-dog world I’m living and I should be constantly moving from one place
to another to prevent being killed by the same people who paid for my services.
For two years, I’ve been living this kind of life until a mysterious job was
sent to me.
The
job was sent through an electronic mail, giving me the time and day of the hit.
A picture of a man and the electronic receipt of transferred funds, including
my airfare to the next state, are enclosed as well. This was the first time the
client had paid me in full before I even finished the task. There was only one
condition after killing the man, cut off his ear and deliver it to the client,
the address will be given to me after I successfully killed the target.
With
no questions asked, I replied with an approval and set off to the place where
the job will be located. I arrived there 5 hours earlier than the specified
time. I walked to the nearest abandoned building to stake my prey. I reached
the rooftop via the stairs and positioned myself as I lay in
wait.
Hours
passed by and a lone car drove by and stopped right in front of the building. A
man wearing a black suit with dark glasses and hat came out from the passenger side, and
faced the empty lot across the building. The vacant lot barred with a wooden
fence not higher than the man’s thighs and a “No Trespassing” sign was painted on
it to warn intruders not to enter.
With
the sniper scope of my gun, I got a close look at the man as he cross over the
wooden fence, and identifying him as my target. His bronze skin covered his
sweat as he assessed the place, maybe his 6th sense is working, and
telling him something is off. I surveyed and noted that there is no other
person with him. I went back to my target, and aimed for the head.
I hold my breath as my finger tingles at the
sensation of the trigger.
BANG!
A
single bullet shot through the air and was the downfall of another man across
the street. Packing my things, I immediately ran from the rooftop towards the
dead body. No one is still in sight, but that does not mean that no one will
pass by. As I cross the street, I grabbed the dagger lying in wait for my use
for it inside my bag. Passing the car, I looked inside it, making sure
that there is no one is hiding inside.
Walking
towards the fence, I raised my left leg to get across the only barrier from me
and my target. As soon as my foot landed on the ground, the surroundings changed into
an underwater cavern.
In
instinct, I held my breath, thinking that I might be drowning and my end has
come. But as I let air enter my lungs again and again, I marveled at how I can
breath underwater.
Examining
the predicament I am in, I noticed that aside from the water and the fishes
swimming around, the wooden fence disappeared as well replaced by the cavern wall surrounding the vicinity. The building where I
shot my target has also disappeared.
The target!
I need to get his ear as the condition of the mission. I looked around but I
fail to see the body of the man I killed a while ago. All in its place is a
tall pillar with roughly 5 meters wide. Looking up, I didn’t see the ending of it
and I don’t think there is any ending. Cautiously, I walked towards the
structure; with my hand is still grasping the dagger in my bag ready for
anything.
“You
don’t need that, yet…” someone said, his voice sounded old and coming behind
the pillar. I walked around it and saw a man, old enough to be my great
grandfather, with a top hat and a cane to help him to move around. He was
leaning at the structure, grinning like a cheshire cat and I noticed he was
wearing dark glasses marked with symbols. His clothing consists of a jacket
with matching pants that screamed fashionable several years ago.
“Where is the man?” I whispered.
“The
man?” he asked without removing his grin. My eyes narrowed and searched
frantically where he could’ve hidden my target. “You see him before you…”
My
eyes widen in surprise as I look at him from head to foot. I remembered the targets
skin, clothes and add to that the youthfulness that this old man is clearly
without.
“Certainly
you jest. You’re too old…” and that earned me a strike to the right shoulder
with his cane. I didn’t even see him move away from the pillar, let alone
striking me with his cane.
“What did you say?” an eyebrow was raised at this
query.
“If
you’re my target, I need your ear as proof.” With that, I grabbed the dagger
that has been resting in my bag; its sharpen edge sparkle in the dimly lit
cavern. Instead of trying to get away, the old man merely laughed at what I was
about to do.
”You fool; you think you can defeat me? Hahaha”
“We’ll
see about that!” I lunged towards him, intending to push him against the pillar
and cut of his ear. That might teach him never to piss off an assassin. But as
I reach the pillar, I pushed nothing but air and another strike delivered to the left
shoulder, much harder than the first one. “I need the ear for the payment!” I
growled.
“You
don’t have to worry about it, you’ve been paid already.” He said, adjusting his
glasses on the bridge of his nose.
“Just who are you?” I snarled, facing the old man,
my target and my trophy.
“Is
that how you greet your father? Very well, introductions should be made. I am
Kalfu, the god of the malevolent spirits of the night.”
“What?”
I exclaimed. I was an orphan, I was always alone and now someone or something
is claiming to be my father. Kalfu was it? “Stop joking old man, I do not have
a father, my parents died somewhere and left me alone to fend for myself.” I
didn’t care if the heard the self-pity in my voice but it was the truth. I was
utterly alone in the orphanage and after everything that has happened in my
life, a person just strolls by and now telling me that he is my father.
“I
am not old, not in a couple more centuries!” he said and delivered another
strike, this time to my head. “I am here because I need of your… abilities. As
you know now, you are a daughter of a god of Loa, a Scion. You have a part of
my power, and because of this I need you to do things for me in this world. The
Titans have escaped and there is but little time for you to be prepared and
face their challenges. The war has already begun in our world and it would
spread towards yours if you can’t do anything about it.”
“I am an assassin, not a savior.”
“You
obviously don’t know the power that you have. Give me your gun.” He ordered.
Without thought, I handed him the case. He whispered an incantation and the
case glowed a bluish light which startled me. He handed me the case once again
and smiled.
“That
will bring your Chaos to you if you ever need it. And this,” he grabbed something
from the insides of his jacket, another pair of glasses, with only one lens
intact. On the lens, several markings are engraved. “…will ensure that the
Darkness and the Moon is close by.”
Kalfu
walked slowly towards the pillar, passing me the unique glasses. He then leaned
against the cemented structure as if is strength is leaving him. Shuffling
something from the neckline of his shirt, he produced a necklace made of string with a bone of chicken feet as the pendant. My eyebrows shot up
as he motioned me to take it.
“This
is the last relic that I’ll be giving of you. Shake it and a creature will be
called and help you in your journey.”
I
didn’t believe him so as soon as I grabbed the necklace, I shook the chicken
feet. In my peripheral vision, I saw something red like blood. I look to my
right and saw a bull, taller than any human being, with blood shot eyes and
blood soaked horns that look very deadly to me. I instantly grabbed my dagger
and prepare to kill it if necessary.
“I
would like you to meet the Taureau-Trois-Graines, or commonly known as the bull
with three testicles, he he he.” He said, laughing as if he just said an
awesome joke. The bull just stared back at me as if made of stone, its eyes glowed
like death waiting to kill.
“How do I un-summon it?”
“Rub
its three testicles… It will return to where it’s kept.” Kalfu said and pointed
at the back part of the bull.
“WHAT?!”
His face doesn’t offer me any other choice and I can’t very well take the bull
with me. With a resigned face, I walked behind the bull and rubbed his private
parts, hoping that it would not kick me in the face for it.
“MOOooo”
the bull’s response was and laughter was heard from the pillar. I glared at the
old man as he was laughing as if there’s no tomorrow. “That’s… I didn’t… know
that… you… would… actually do it… hahahaha…” Kalfu said in between his hysterical
laughter.
I
removed my hand from the bull’s private parts and stomped towards him, planning
shake him until he tells me what I need to do. A hand stopped me from going to
him and his face was suddenly devoid of laughter.
“Just shake the chicken bone again and he will
leave.”
Following
his direction, I shook the rattle-like pendant and watch the bull’s solid form
disintegrate into thin air, as if no living creature was standing there in the
first place.
“Go to San
Francisco, they need you there.” Kalfu whispered.
“And
how do you propose I get there?” I asked, a single eyebrow rose, challenging
his power to do me a favor. The last thing I remember about him was his grin,
and with a flick of his hand, everything blurred.
Originally posted on acidandroid.vox.com
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