#alex deerter

[rational-mastermind]

Day 5! We’re shaking things up and going to be focusing on a couple of OCs of mine! Alex the Guardian of Death and Aisha the Empath!

--

  Aisha was sitting in her small home deep in the woods, curled up on the end of a wicker couch, reading a book by the low lamp’s light, when her guardian, Jason, came in.

“Oh, good, you’re back.” he smiled at her.

“Welcome home.” she smiled back. “What’s up?”

“There’s something I wanna show you. Grab your coat and follow me.”

Jason was a tall, young man with sandy blonde hair and deep brown eyes. He wore a long white cloak and carried a tall staff, with a glass globe at the end, containing small balls of light which Jason has called will-o-wisps. He looked to be in his 20′s, but Aisha knew he was much older than that. Exactly how old though, he wouldn’t say.

Aisha felt a certain fondness for her guardian. He found her, at a young age, and had all but raised her himself deep in the woods. Other creatures see him as like an angel, or a god, a guardian of life. But to her, he was a mentor, a teacher, and almost fatherly.

Aisha herself was a good six inches shorter. She had chestnut skin, dappled with dots of white, and long raven black hair, she normally kept in a braid. She grabbed her bear fur coat, a coat given to her by Jason last year during the Winter months, and returned to the door.

Jason stood by the door, no longer a man, but a pure white stag. his branching horns stood tall and proud behind him, carefully holding the wisps from his jar. To any other, he would appear mystical and powerful, like a beautiful and gentle spirit. To Aisha though, this was just another, more commonly known, form he took, using his white cloak as a means to transform. He knelt down and Aisha climbed onto his back.

“You steady?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Alright, hold tight.”

Aisha wrapped her arms around his neck and he took off in the dwindling twilight.

“So where are we going tonight?”

“Tonight’s the equinox.” Jason informed her. “The beginning of the new season, and the night the stars will change their position.”

“So we’re going to the grasslands to watch the stars?”

“You’ve got it.”

Aisha watched the forest race by her as Jason bounded effortlessly through the trees. She caught sight of a few seasonal spirits, jumping from tree to tree, changing their leaves from Summery Green to the Autumnal spectrum. The jackalopes hopped out of Jason’s way.  She saw other creatures flit through the trees, but they passed by too quickly for her to really see.

Soon enough, the sun was setting, and Jason and Aisha arrived at the edge of the grasslands. The tall straw-colored sea of grass spread out far off to the horizon. The last oranges, pinks, and purples of the twilight were disappearing over that edge.

Aisha looked up at the stars and smiled at their beauty. It was never a lonely night when they were out.

“Aisha, can you find the North Star?” Jason asked, kneeling down.

Aisha slid off his back and looked carefully at them.

“Hmm.. Oh! There!" she pointed it out.

“Good. Now watch him carefully.”

Aisha squinted in the growing darkness. At first nothing seemed to change. But then the star seemed to be growing. It got bigger and bigger. Aisha watched with wide-eyed wonder as it dawned on her the star wasn’t just growing. It was growing closer.

She pressed back into Jason as one, huge, navy blue foot touched down into the grass, and a towering creature of the night stood over her.

“Greetings, North Star!” Jason called out, standing up. “How are we this evening?”

The head of this creature, this... star... turned and Aisha could see it’s bright pin point of light. It shone down on the both of them like a spotlight.

“Ah, Mr. Jason.” a smooth, calm, deep voice responded. “It’s good to see you once more. I see you’ve also brought along another of your kind.”

“Yes sir. This is Aisha. A dear friend and family of mine.”

The star hummed and turned his attention to Aisha. She gave a nervous bow.

“I-It’s um.. Goo-good to- It-It’s good to meet you, Sir.” she greeted.

“It’s good to meet you as well, dear child.” the North Star returned. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

The North Star stood straight and began to move away. Aisha looked around the fields and all around them the constellations that she knew so well in the sky.. were all reaching down on Earth. Ursa Major and Minor. Cassiopeia. Orion. Scorpio. Creatures of enormous proportions, swathed in a dark mass and glimmering speckles, were all reaching the field now, and greeting one another. Aisha ended up losing her balance, just trying to watch it all, and fell back onto the grass to watch with Jason.

“What do you think, Aisha?”

“It’s beautiful..” she said, eyes wide with wander. “But.. What’s...?”

“Every equinox, the stars reach down to Earth and exchanges positions in the sky. The Western stars will now appear in the East, and the Eastern shall appear in the West. This is where they meet. This is where they change. Where they hold the balance.”

Aisha and Jason watched on and after all of them came down, Jason nudged her.

“Come. I’ll introduce you.”

Aisha climbed onto his back and Jason stood and began walking through the crowd of constellations. As Aisha was being introduced to some, she noticed another large, dark figure standing a good few yards away.

“Who’s that?”

Jason looked and his ears pinned back.

“Oh..” Jason was obviously disapproving.

The figure drew closer and soon enough Aisha could see it was a wolf. A huge black wolf with brightly glowing eyes.

“Alex.” Jason greeted, his normally warm voice now cold and distant.

“Jason.” the wolf returned.

He lowered his head and soon was standing as a man, drawing his hood. His hair was long and black and he wore a black cloak. His piercing green eyes practically shone in the dark, standing out against his pale white and gaunt face. He looked at Aisha and raised an eyebrow. For some reason, the gaze sent shivers down Aisha’s spine and her heart began beating faster.

“When did you start babysitting?” he asked, looking back at Jason.

“Take a wild guess.” Jason huffed.

“I’m assuming this is Aisha?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Relax. I’m just making conversation...” Alex began walking around Jason, but their eyes remained locked on one another. “..You know she won’t last forever.”

“I’m well aware but it won’t get cut short.”

Alex scoffed and walked by him.

“Whoever said it would? I’m simply warning you... Don’t get too attached.”

With that he transformed back into a wolf and disappeared into the night.

“...Wh-who..was...?”

“Alex. My brother.” Jason answered. “The Guardian of Death. You’re not allowed near him, understand?”

“I promise.”

But Aisha couldn’t keep her promise. It would only be weeks later they would meet again. And again and again. And over the course of several years, she will learn Death was not as scary as most assumed. Death was caring and tender and kind. And over time she would learn of Death’s sweet embrace and win his heart. In time, Death will learn, you can’t help getting attached and some things, are worth the time and effort.