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I had parents; I had a name. I know I had them but I do not remember them now. All I have now is fear and faith. I wander this world ever running from the omnipresent horrors. I am cursed to see the world as it truly is. The horrors hide from most eyes behind the thinnest gossamer vale but not mine. My eyes see it all, and only with the greatest effort of will can I blink.
To be around others is unbearable. They recoil in horror at the sight of me, a ragged wretch crawled from some dark place. The sight of them, seeing their true face is far worse for me. I see the malignancy behind the vale, ever trying to escape.
All I remember of my mother are three words. I did not understand them at the time, I do now. The horrors of this world tested me and showed me the truth. I have found peace now. This is the story of how I found myself in a hell that taught me the Truth of those words. The Emperor Protects.

I was holding a small animal I had caught in a snare. I broke its neck before biting into it. As it died I felt the energy drain from it. I bit into it to capture as much of that vital essence as I could. It sustained me as much as the flesh. Long ago did I dispense of etiquette and human decency. I lived alone in these dark woods, killing animals and stealing from nearby farms to sustain myself. I longed for death. No, I longed for oblivion for I knew what death held. I do not know how long I spent in those woods. Years, decades, centuries it is all a blur. Each day I ate if I was lucky. Each night I slept, dreamlessly if I was lucky.
It was near autumn and the air was becoming cold, my sustenance scarce. I had wandered as close to the farms as I ever dared. As I ate my meal I hard a rustling in the bush. I went to investigate, still hungry. I moved silently as only someone who has lived his life in the bush sneaking up on prey to survive does. As I pushed through to see what as moving, I saw them. It was a small girl and a boy, not more than ten years old. I froze, for they were not like most people. The horrors I am so accustomed to, hiding behind their eyes were not there. All I saw was light. The pair radiated a golden aura. I sat transfixed, staring. Then they saw me. The girl screamed and they ran. I heard them tearing off through the brush, screaming. I felt shame, I felt like the wretch I am. Such rare creatures of the light should react so to my mere existence.
I heard the running and screaming. At some point it changed. I could feel it. One of the screams stopped. I raced after them. I pushed through the brush as fast as I could go, the branches pulling at my tattered garb. I came to the top of a hill and I saw them at the bottom. The girl was lying face down the boy over her yelling at her to get up. He must have heard my approach as he looked up to the top of the hill where I was. He screamed again and continued his retreat, abandoning the girl. I ran down the hill to the girl. Red blood pooled under her mixed with golden light. I wept. Through my sobs I rolled her over and saw a branch protruding from her small abdomen. Dark blood soaked the white dress she wore.
She opened her eyes and looked at me. When she saw the tears flowing all fear left her.
“Help me.” She whispered, reaching to grab my arm with her small hand.
I knew what I must not do. I grabbed the stick and pulled it from her. She convulsed and cried out weakly. I knew what I must not do. Tears clouded my vision. The shame for what I had done overcoming the fear. I reached out and placed my hands over the wound. I closed my eyes and willed it to close. I could feel the golden light spilling from her return. I wiped my eyes and looked down. The girl was unconscious now, the wound gone, her white dress soaked in dark blood.
I lifted the small form in my arms and carried her in the direction the boy had run. Towards one the of farms I carried her. Her breathing was shallow but steady. I prayed, repeating the only thing I remembered of my mother. As I neared the small house at the edge of the forest, I saw the boy pulling on his father, pointing in my direction. I brought the girl towards them. The man had a weapon of some sort aimed at me. He yelled at me but I kept approaching. When he saw the girl he lowered the weapon and continued yelling. When the woman saw the girl she moved towards me, putting herself between the man and me. As I got close to them and dropped to my knees and with infinite care I lowered the small girl to the ground at the mothers feet.
“I’m sorry.” I croaked, I do not know how long it had been since I had last spoken. The practice was unfamiliar, my voice hoarse.
I looked up, tears in my eyes, at the parents with the small boy hiding behind the father. Like the little ones they exuded a golden light. I retreated as they knelt by the girl. I tried to speak again but nothing happened. I got to my feet and fled.
Days passed and my life continued. I ate and I slept. In my dreams I saw them, the family. The girl lay in a bed, still as I had left her. Her wounds healed, her soul not. After some time I began to sense terrible things. The ghosts of the forest had become more active, more malicious. Above me I felt something, something I could not describe. A void.
As time passed the dreams became nightmares. I knew I should continue moving, away from the farms. Some force kept me near. Then one day I felt it, something had changed. I moved, silently towards the farmhouse. I felt a sense of duty that overcame my fear. I watched as one morning a man, dressed in robes entered the house. He had a power about him. Something I had felt before, I did not know where, something primal.
I heard shouting coming from inside the house followed by loud cracks. The girl, she was in danger. I rushed towards the house my legs carrying me with inhuman speed. I crashed through the door. I saw the robed man holding something on a chain around his neck. A large metal “I” with a skull. He was pointing a weapon at the girl, laying helpless in the bed. The parents were in the corner, holes in their heads leaking blood.
“NO!” I shouted and rushed the man. He stopped his chanting and turned towards me. Lightning flew from his hand as I body slammed him. I pushed with all of my might; the lightning burned my arms as he flew through the wall.
I turned towards the girl. Her golden aura was gone. I saw only monsters inside her. They began to claw their way out of her, tearing her small body apart. I jumped through the wall I had thrown the robed man through to escape the monsters. They jumped after me. The man staggered to his feet and saw the monsters coming after us. He held out his hand and lightning shot from it. His eyes glowed blue and the energies incinerated the first monster. More poured through the opening in the wall. I dropped to my knees and closed my eyes. I felt the evil around me closing in. with all my might I expanded the darkness within me to expand, to devour the world. The noise stopped. I opened my eyes. The robed man still held out his hand but the lightning had disappeared. The monsters were gone. Everything around us was gone, the world black.
The man looked at me, eyes wide. He held his hand out towards me as to incinerate me as he had the first monster. Nothing happened. He raised his pistol. I simply thought of it disintegrating and it did. He held out the pendant from the chain on his neck and began to chant. Within that “I” I saw it, the golden light I had seen within the family. Despite the darkness I was enveloping around us, that light shone.
Already on my knees I dropped my face to the dirt and repeated the sacred words my mother had taught me. The world reappeared around us. I could feel the man’s inner conflict. He walked up to me and placed a hand on my head.
“We have a place for you.” He said in a deep gravely voice. I wept, for at no point in my life had there been such a thing. He tied my hands behind my back and forced me to my feet. He spoked into his wrist.
“You are what I came here for, witch.” He spat the last word. I continued repeating my liturgy. In the sky I saw it, a ship of all black. The hole in the universe I had sensed before. Sanctity from the horrors that permeated the universe.
I wept as I saw it. As the man hit me, the last three words I said before losing consciousness, “The Emperor Protects.”

Well done. This was a fast, fun read. Really enjoyed it! Though I had a hard time picturing the monsters, perhaps you could provide more vivid details if you decide to revise, otherwise thanks for sharing