Scion: Hero -- Prologue

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 6^th 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.