Valkyrien Aurelios
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Nickname: Val
Species: Morellian, Other
Age: 121
Height: 2m
Weight: 109kg
Sex: Male
Skin: White
Hair: Brown/Black
Eyes: Heterochromia, Orange, Blue
Force Sensitive: No
- [+]Strong & Nimble: Valkyrien seems to possess a natural strength and speed which for a man his size seems almost unnatural. Though he is hardly super-human, Valkyrien seems to be quite a bit stronger than one would expect, even from a man of his size. To add to this, for a man of his age Val seems perfectly fleet-footed, moving faster and more nimbly than any man of his size has any right to do. This natural strength and agility has been with Valkyrien his entire life and seems to be something that comes to him naturally, rather than trained. Though he has often questioned the origin of these abilities he has long since guessed that they likely came from his fathers side of the family.
- [+]Long Life: Presumably a gift from his Morellian mother, Valkyriens life seems to stretch far beyond that of any normal Human being. Val has lived in this galaxy for nearly one hundred and twenty three years, only recently having shown any sign of aging at all. Indeed for much of his 'youth' Val was unable to grow a beard, much to his shame, and only within the last thirty years has he been able to grow facial hair. His deceased wife had always commented on how youthful he looked, even upon her death bed.
- [-]Hunger: Val, almost at all times feel an indiscernible hunger. For some reason he never quite feels full, nor does he really ever feel satisfied with a meal. This leaves him in a state of constant semi-fatigue. This state of hunger is with him frequently, and often leaves him rather grumpy and difficult to deal with. Though he's never quite understood it, Val does realize that eating more does not necessarily make the hunger go away. The few times he has been sated were after massive meals cooked within the wilds.
- [-]Gluten Allergy: Making his hunger even more difficult is Val's allergy to Gluten. Though it is not deadly, this reaction to gluten based food makes Val violently ill whenever he consumes it.
I’ve lived a long life.
One hundred and twenty one years. That number astounds some people, throws other for a loop. It’s young for some species, I know Hutt’s live for a long time, Gen’Dai even longer, but Humans? We’re not meant to spend this much time running around.
Aerith used to say I was lucky. I always disagreed.
Valkyrien Aurelios was the name my mother gave me. I never met her, she died giving birth to me. My parents told me that the name came from her, that she had told them I deserved a noble sounding name, something that would make my father proud. Over the years I’ve tried to understand those words, I suppose my father is some kind of Nobleman, though in truth, I’ve long since stopped looking.
My parents followed my mothers wishes, giving me the name she wanted and taking me into their home. Beth and Isal Nirl. They were good people, probably better than I’ll ever be. They lived on a tiny farm on my homeworld, a planet no one has ever heard of or ever cared to name. I grew up on that farm, and I loved every moment. Beth and Isal were great parents, they raised me well, saw to my every need, always made sure I got what I wanted. I think my mother would have been pleased with them.
From a young age I enjoyed reading, and despite the isolation of the Gulag Plague my parents always made sure I had plenty of books. They were old stories mostly, fairy tales and legends about Knights, Princesses, everything that children loved. The stories inspired me, childish I know, but I knew what I wanted to be from a young age.
A good man, a protector, a Knight.
My parents supported me of course, as silly as it was. As I grew up I helped Isal work the farm, run the mill, push the plow, but every night I would train. I would move and ‘fight’ as best as I could. It got to the point where I actually had thoughts of leaving. On my eighteenth birthday Isal gave me my first quarterstaff. It was a silly thing, looking back, but my parents were happy just to indulge me. I was charismatic enough, or perhaps foolish enough, to drag the other boys into my ways.
They trained with me, exercised, fought, but I always beat them. I couldn’t really explain it at the time, it didn’t make much sense, but I would regularly beat kids bigger than me, move faster than those smaller than me, and out think those who were considered genius by everyone else. It was odd at the time, though of course while growing up I thought nothing more of it. Looking back I should have seen it, I should have known I wasn’t like the rest of them.
When I turned twenty one my parents told me the truth. How my mother had come to them in the dark of night, how she had begged them for help, how she had died only moments after my birth with no tell of who my father or even she was.
It was odd at first. A part of me had always known, but another part felt betrayed. Still, Isal and Beth supported me. They never said a bad word, they never raised their voices. They only nodded and answered my questions. They were good people, better than me. The truth drove me away from them, for a time at least. I hugged them, even in my anger I couldn’t deny the love I bore my parents. Within a fortnight I was headed off-world, the Gulag Plague in recession and the galaxy once again beginning to churn. I was a young man ready for adventure.
I found it rather quickly.
With planets once again beginning to stretch their economic muscles, trade became more common, and with trade came pirates. It wasn’t long before worlds in the outer rim started to defend themselves. Small Planetary defense forces began to form, using ancient ships and beaten blasters to defend themselves. I joined up, dreams of defending the innocent still thick in my mind.
The truth of the situation was a bit more...boring. I don’t think I ever realized how much waiting was involved in soldiering. The Defense Force I joined was more like a milita than anything else, though when we were called upon we did our job well. I was with them for three years, we fought off pirates, scavengers, even another Defense Force once. They were good years honestly, I learned about who I was, what I was fit for. Eventually though my time came to an end. It had been three years since I’d seen Beth and Isal, and time had worn away any anger I felt.
I returned to my homeworld, greeted with the same warm smiles and open arms that I had left three years earlier.
Being back wasn’t hard, not really. There were a few nights I dreamed of the stars, but...well working the farm had been my childhood. I returned to a simple life, doing the same as I had done as a young man. A year went by and I lived the simple life. There wasn't any glamour to it, only charm. I felt at peace really, at home. I didn't think that things could get better, Aerith showed me I was wrong.
I wouldn't say I'm small minded, not by far, I just have a very simple outlook on life. Aerith? Aerith was different. She didn't stop herself for anything, she had dreams and she wanted to achieve them, it was as simple as that. She knew what she wanted all her life, and as soon as I saw her I knew that I wanted her. It took me three months, three months of constantly asking. Every day I would travel thirty miles to her village, every day I would ask her to dinner, and every day she would say no. It was a game to her I think, just to see how long I would keep coming. Eventually I wore her down, or maybe she took pity on me, either way she said yes. I took her on a picnic, a small thing really. We traveled to the mountains and sat ourselves down. A simple thing, but she always told me she couldn't have asked for anything more perfect.
The following year we were married, a month after that I built our home.
I spent the summer carving most of our furniture, she spent it studying. Aerith wanted to be a doctor, a difficult thing at the time. Bacta wasn't exactly flowing and other medication was hard to come by, but Aerith...Aerith was determined. For years she did what she could, and eventually she became recognized as the local healer. It was a big step, and what little medical supplies came to our little world usually made their way to her.
We lived a happy life I think...a good life. We tried for children, but whatever God watched over us never quite granted us that kindness. That was hard for both of us, but eventually we grew to accept it. We took in the local children, those with nowhere else to go I trained them, she took care of them. Most blessed us for the burden we took upon ourselves, but to us...it was just a small joy that we could have.
They were good years, they really were, though to be they always seemed to go by so fast.
I suppose there was good reason for it. Aerith noticed it first, though she said nothing for a time. She would make little jokes, but I never took her seriously. It was only when my parents passed that I saw it too. Isal and Beth died on my fiftieth birthday, to the day. It was at their funeral that I saw it for the first time, the age of my friends, the age of my wife. Aerith's skin had grown wrinkled, her hair had grown white, her eyes...she was still beautiful, still the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen, but I knew it then. She was aging, and me? I stayed the same.
The pain of that can't really be put into words, but after that day I couldn't help but notice it. Aerith's life was slipping away, slowly, but it was going. I knew there and then that I would live longer than her. I knew there and then that I would have to watch her die.
Twenty years later she fell asleep and didn't wake up.
It was a peaceful death, the kind that most would dream of.
We had known it was coming for a long while, a sickness had struck her. For weeks it had ravaged her body, sapped her strength, and bitten at her mind. I can still remember the cruelty of it fifty years later. To watch the woman you love waste away, lose herself, it's a pain that can't be described., and agony worse than the most horrendous torture. A part of me wishes that I had gone with her, though I know she hadn't wanted it that way. Her last words were an order, or perhaps two. She told me not to forget her, but in the same breath commanded me to move on. With her dying words she moved me forward, and within a week of her death I once again left my home.
The years blend together after that.
It's surprisingly difficult to tell them apart. Maybe her loss had that affect on me, or maybe I'm finally getting old, but I hardly remember those years. I traveled a lot, I know that. From planet to planet, system to system, I hopped around where I could, worked when I could, fought when I had to. It wasn't a bad life, in fact I'm more than willing to bet a few would kill for it. Fifty years spent alone, fifty years running through the galaxy and living as best I could. There was no joy at first, but slowly after a decade of time it returned. By the fifteenth year I could laugh again, by the twentieth year I could roar, and by the thirtieth? By the thirtieth I could even love again. It was never as deep, never as pure, but it was there. I tried to do as Aerith said, I still try to do as Aerith said. I live my life, I move on.
Always.
Perhaps it's that creed that brought me here. Perhaps it's my love of reading or my thirst for knowledge, I don't know, but I know what I need to do.
