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Scarlet Witch
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Author's notes
(Please read at least once and know that the story may be rewritten often and without notice as the story evolves – SCROLL DOWN FOR PROLOG)
"Speech." = Speaking out loud
"Speech" = Non-verbal languages (example: Sign-language)
"Speech." = Thoughts
/Speech./ = Mental Communication i.e. Telepathy (Ignores language)
§Speech.§ = Non-human languages
*Sound!* = Sounds
¤Writing.¤ = Letters and Notes
o0o = Change of POV
oxo = Start/End of Dream/Vision/Flashbacks
o000o = Breakline (Minutes or hours – always within the same day)
0x0x0x0x0 = Breakline (Minimum until the next day, but could be several days or even months)
000x000 = Separation-line (Separating story from Author's Notes and Titles etc.)
Disclaimer:
-I do not own Noblesse, it belongs to Son Jae Ho (Writer) and Lee Gwang Su (Illustrator).
WARNINGS:
-Will have swearing (not a lot, but there will be a word or two)
-Will be SPOILERS depending on how caught up you are with the Webtoon/Manhwa/Manga/Anime (THIS INCLUDES THIS PAGE).
-Also, I write in a way that assumes the readers are familiar with the fandoms involved, so some things might be confusing.
Important Notes:
-Some characters will be somewhat OOC (mostly because I might be unfamiliar with certain characters and/or just unable to write their personalities correctly – though I'll do what I can)
-Lastly and MOST IMPORTANTLY; I do draw a lot of inspiration from other fanfics, so there may be plenty of similarities, though I'll try not to outright copy anyone and I will try to leave a note and/or shout-out with those chapter that have heavy inspiration from others, since I do recommend that people read those stories.
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Now onto the Story.
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Prolog
She was warm. Yet, she woke up lying on the cold ground, and there was a chill in the air. It was late at night, yet everything seemed brighter than it should be. She froze when the thing that was keeping her warm moved; it was an animal, half on top of her, having moved its head closer to hers as if sensing she's awake, and she felt its fur against her skin. She didn't want to move, but inched her head to the side, spotting the long muzzle of a wolf. After a few minutes, she realized the wolf didn't seem to mean any harm, and she relaxed. She was about to fall asleep when she noticed a strange tingling sensation in her back… right where… The memory hit her like a runaway horse cart, and she shot up – startling the wolf – as she remembered the arrow that had struck her, but, when she examined herself, she found no wound, just dried blood sticking to her shirt, and a hole in the fabric where the wound should've been. The area was tender, but otherwise there was nothing to indicate that she had been wounded at all.
The wolf next to her sat up, and whined inquisitively at her, and, somehow, her brain translated the whine to 'are you ok?'. She starred, dumbfounded, but eventually opened her mouth to answer. "I'm…fine…" She said.
She got a huff in return. §Good§.
She was confused. Her ears had heard no words, just growls and huffs, but, in her mind, she knew what the sounds meant. "How can I understand you?" She asked more to herself than anything else, but the wolf answered her anyway.
§You have the blood of a werewolf, Little One.§ He said. §But you also have the blood of a human.§
"A… A Werewolf?… That can't be!" She insisted.
§You would be dead, if you weren't.§ The wolf told her. §It appears your wolf-blood has awakened, which is extraordinary. Half-breeds don't usually develop any abilities until they are well into their 50s, if they live that long.§ The wolf studied her curiously. §You also have the scent of a werewolf on you, meaning you've been in close proximity to one for long enough for their scent to permanently linger on you. Their aura must have accelerated your development, enough for your wolf-blood to trigger when you needed it the most.§
"I…" She started but stopped herself, looking away. Her eyes widened as she finally noticed the state of her surroundings. Even in the dark, she could see it was a war-zone, nothing was left, just the scorched and destroyed remains of what was once a beautiful forest. The only thing left untouched, was a small circle in which she and the wolf were sitting. "What… happened here?" She asked terrified. Then, a thought hit her. "AHJUSSI!" She shot to her feet and yelled, but her legs failed her and she collapsed onto the wolf's back.
§Careful.§ The wolf said. §You're not strong enough to move yet.§
"But, my uncle…." She was determined to stand, but her body wouldn't listen. "I need to find him!"
The wolf looked at her, and remembered the battle he had witnessed. §Once you've regained your strength, we will look together, but I fear your uncle is half responsible for the damage you see.§
She gasped in shock. "What do you mean?!" She asked.
§When I protected you from the blast, it was because I could sense that your soul was still in your body, though your heart wasn't beating.§ The wolf started. §Werewolves are prone to rage; losing themselves to their instincts, and the desire to hunt and kill those who have harmed their loved ones. If your uncle is the wolf I witnessed, your 'death' would very much have been the trigger to his fury.§
She looked around. "…Who was he fighting?" She asked.
§A Noble. A man with short black hair.§
She recognized that description. "Sir Raizel?" She thought. She then turned to the wolf. "What's a Nobel? Assuming you're not talking about a human."
§Nobles are ancient and powerful creatures.§ The wolf explained. §They are protectors of the human race, so, if your uncle became a threat to them due to his rage…§
"Sir Raizel would have tried to stop him." She concluded. "What happened to them?"
§Given their power, it is possible that they both may have succumbed to their injuries.§ The wolf said. §And given the lack of a massacre… I fear your uncle may have been defeated.§
She slumped, finally allowing her body to go limp. "What do I do now?" She thought.
The wolf gently settled down with the girl still slumped over his back. §May I ask your name?§ He asked.
"Ashleen." She said. "And you?"
§I don't have a name.§ The wolf said. §But, if you want, you can give me one.§
Ashleen looked at him. "You're staying?" She asked, her voice cracking a bit.
§I am.§ The wolf said. §Someone will need to teach you how to be a wolf, and, since you're likely to be killed if another werewolf finds out about your existence, that leaves me.§ He nudged her cheek with his muzzle.
Eventually, Ashleen fell into an uneasy sleep, curling up with the wolf for warmth. The next day, after the sun came up, they headed to the river, hoping to catch some fish for breakfast. However, there wasn't much water left, and no fish, so they headed to the nearest village instead. Ashleen had retrieved what she could from the small house she and her uncle had been living in, and there was no point in sticking around. On their way, they found the terrain was absolutely devastated. Ashleen had only lived in this area for a short while, but had known the area quite well, and now, she couldn't even recognize it. She had traveled to the village several times, in search of supplies, but, what was once a straight road, was now upturned, ragged, and full of hidden traps made of unstable soil, tree roots ripped from the ground, and sharp rocks that had been blasted apart by a huge amount of force.
The villagers who saw the battle were convinced that their God had fought a demon to protect them, and the religious leaders of the village had taken full advantage of it. Still, she got what she needed to build herself a home not far from the village, wanting to stay close to the last place she saw her uncle. She knew how to live off the land, and wouldn't need to go into the village very often, but she didn't want to seclude herself either. She had seen so much devastation during her travels with her uncle, and, after the attack, and the revelation that she wasn't entirely human anymore, she almost couldn't bring herself to trust humans anymore. Still, she wanted to give them a chance; humanity was a part of her, and she didn't want to resent it. Ashleen spent the next decade living off the land and getting what money she needed by acting as a healer and Herbology expert, though not everyone was happy with her presence, and were instead calling her a witch and devil-worshipper. The wolf, Fenrir, as she had named him, stayed with her and added to the issue, but not as much as the physical changes that was happening to her body. Since the day she was attacked, she had noticed a significant increase in her physical abilities, and she was visibly aging at a much slower rate. Her senses had heightened, and her vocal cords had changed. Her eyes had lightened in color, and her canines and nails lengthened and sharpened when she got angry.
Over time, she learned to control her new abilities, and her enhanced hearing helped her avoid the more hostile villagers. However, as the years went by, it became apparent that the number of people calling her a witch was growing, and she knew it would soon be time to move on. She remained civil, despite the profanities some threw at her, and she ignored the fact that more and more people were giving her a wide berth as she walked through the village in her bright, red riding hood (AN 1), carrying a wooden basket, and with her abnormally intelligent wolf walking beside her. She was content by letting the villagers come to her if they needed anything, which wasn't often as they usually left her alone, and just focused on living her life, one day at the time, known as the Scarlet Witch.
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Author's Notes
1) A Riding Hood is a kind of cloak with a hood that women used to wear while riding horses.