🜏 Aven Emcee, at a young age knew that they had been born into the wrong body. Which only led to making things much more difficult for him growing up. Especially since his mother had passed away when he was born, and it only led to an even bigger rift between him and his father. In order to avoid going home and facing his ire, Aven often hung out in town square. But even there he wasn’t safe because some of the older kids saw him as an easy target, plus what kind of girl dressed up in boy’s clothes? As they were being beaten up, someone intervened. Aven couldn’t see who, but they recognized the voice. It was a girl who he has often seen near where the hunters went out through the back gate of the village. Regardless, she ended up beating up the kids and defending him; helping him up and introducing herself as Valeria. It was here where their friendship truly began. She was his escape, and for once… things started to feel normal.
That is until one night on a stupid dare, he had gone out into the woods alone; had Valeria not found them when she did, there was a good chance he would have died that night. Of course, he tried to reassure Val it wasn’t her fault but he couldn’t seem to convince her. He still didn’t know what attacked him, he hadn’t seen. But whatever it was, left a pretty nasty scar… although it paled in comparison to the ones Valeria ended up coming home with when they were teens- that was the night when things finally began to make sense. Why there was so many hunting parties, and why Valeria always seemed so tired. That was when Aven finally learned about the monsters… the creatures of the night. Maybe… he could finally prove his worth.
Aven dedicated everything to learning about the different herbs and plants, as well as the various components necessary in regards to medicine, alchemy and potion making. Valeria had tried teaching him to fight, but the most he could do was the basics. But that was better than nothing. And despite his shaky hands, he had good aim with a crossbow in case he needed to shoot from afar. Things had been going so well… it was only a matter of time before disaster struck again… and Aven was forced to mercy kill his best friend. He could still remember her thanking him as she went cold in his arms.
It was here that Aven left and decided to go to the one place he knew that Val had been prior to this… Oakhurst.
